The Killing Joke
by sweetlilsis
Summary: Barbara Gordon Jr. is back in Gotham, now she has to deal with a guy that dresses up like a bat, an arrogant DA, and a psychotic clown. *TDK spoilers* Epilogue
1. Welcome Home Junior

**AN : **This is my first real fanfic here so plz be gentle. I have loved Batman ever since I was a kid, and I am huge fan of Nolanverse, but even though I loved TDK, I kind of missed some of my fav comic book characters that didn't make it to the film. Like Barbara Gordon Jr...I know in the movie she's like six, but I kind of wanted to see an adult Barbara. So I decide to write a fanfic with her in the film. Other comic book characters that will make an appearence are: Dr. Quinzel aka. Harley Quinn, Dinah Laurel aka. Black Canary, Vicki Vale, ect...

PS. Just so you know I decided to keep Gordon's youngest daughter, her name is Sarah, and she's actually named after Gordon's second wife in the comics, Sarah Essen. (You know the one the Joker killed) Oh and just so you know no batgirl, remember this is nolanverse, let's be realistic.

**--**

**Chapter One**

**Welcome Home Junior**

Barbara wouldn't admit it, but she was really nervous. Her fingers tapped the airplane window anxiously; she stopped when the man next to her gave her a dirty look.

She muttered an apology and tried to concentrate on something else, anything to make that jittery feeling in her stomach stop, but to no avail. If anything she began to feel more and more nervous. It had been eight years since she had left Gotham.

Eight years she had spent in Harvard, but to be truthful she had missed her family and friends too much. She always knew she'd be going back to Gotham, after all Rachel Dawes, who was a family friend, was the assistant D.A., which in other words meant Barbara already had a guaranteed job.

Not only that, but she wanted to help her father, he needed her…Gotham needed her. The mafia was getting worse, and not only that, but there were also some colorful characters running around causing trouble, like that Crane fellow, or the Batman.

Barbara had mixed feelings about the Batman, she didn't know what to believe…some say he's an outlaw, others say he's a hero. Sure Batman was doing a lot for Gotham, after all he had caught Carmine Falcone, who use to be the head of the Falcone crime family; then again Barbara believes that no one should take the law into their own hands, if he did it what would stop others from doing it as well.

The airplane began descending slowly, her stomach churned...Don't get her wrong she was happy she was going back home, but she had been gone for so long, she didn't know what had changed.

She got out of the plane as quickly as she could.

She saw a two familiar faces waiting for her outside. Her father, James Gordon was there with her little brother Jimmy. She smiled happily as she saw them waving at her. She practically ran into her father's open arms. He enveloped her in a strong embrace, and she returned it.

"I'm glad you're back, Junior.", he said his voice wavering slightly. She could tell he was holding the tears of happiness back.

She felt her own eyes water.

"Glad to be back."

They broke the warm embrace, and Barbara wiped a tear that had managed to slip. She looked down at Jimmy who was looking up at her with a mix of curiosity and caution, it was as if he didn't recognize her.

She kneeled down to be at his level.

"Hi Jimmy…You remember you're big sister, don't yah?"

He looked at her with hidden awareness, "You've changed.", he said before putting his fragile arms around her neck and hugging her tightly. She grinned and hugged her nine year old brother back.

She stood up; her father grabbed the duffel bag from her shoulder and carried it until they got to his car.

The drive back home was not quiet as Barbara expected it to be. Actually Jimmy had been firing all kinds of questions at her, and Barbara tried to answer them as best as she could.

When they arrived home she could feel her heart tightening. The last time she had seen her mother, they hadn't really left in the best of terms.

The door opened, her mother like her father hadn't changed a bit…

"Junior is that you?", her mother, Barbara, asked inspecting her up and down.

"Yep, it's me mom."

They hugged, all was apparently forgotten.

Barbara looked just like her namesake; she had her mother's red hair and her green eyes. She truly was the spitting image of her mother, and sometimes she resented that…

"Okay, honey we have to get inside.", she heard her father's voice behind her.

She looked back as she broke away from her mother's embrace. Her father was struggling with the heavy duffel bag, and Jimmy looked like he was about to drop to the floor, his eyes clouded with exhaustion.

They entered their home; it was small, but cozy. As Barbara looked around she was happy that not much had changed.

"Where's Sarah?", she asked curiously wondering were her six year old sister was.

"Barbie!"

She knew that voice, as she looked up she could see her baby sister Sarah bouncing down the stairs, her pretty brown hair was done into two thick braids that fell over her small shoulders.

"Hey gorgeous.", she said warmly as Sarah's body collided with her legs, she tumbled slightly, but regained her balance. Sarah hugged her legs tightly. When she stopped, she looked up at her big sister, her big brown doe eyes were filled with adoration.

"Wow...That's a strong grip you have…Haven't you grown since the last time I saw you."

"Sarah, Jimmy it's passed your bed time. Go to your room. Tomorrow you'll both have time to catch up with your sister.", her father's stern voice didn't leave time for excuses.

Her small siblings both muttered 'goodnight' before heading up the stairs to the bedroom they both shared.

"You should head up to your room as well Junior.", her mother's voice was warm and filled with concern.

"Your mother is right. You look tired."

This time her father spoke, his voice was soft as well, and filled with as much concern.

Barbara Jr. looked at her father, her eyes dropping slightly, "Do I still have a room?", she asked teasingly.

"Of course." Her father replied softly, he was almost offended, he would always leave her room the way it was. After all she was still his little girl.

Before heading towards her room she hugged her father and later kissed his mother goodnight. She climbed the stairs slowly, she felt so tired all of the sudden. The duffel bag was heavy and as soon as she entered her room she put it down on the floor; kicking the door close with her leg, she trotted towards her bed pausing only to take her shoes off before collapsing on the bed. She let sleep take over her tired body as her eyes finally closed shut.

--

The first thing she did when she woke up was take a long warm shower and change into some comfortable jeans and a white tank top. She headed down stairs where she saw her family gathered around the dinner table. The smell of pancakes filled her nasal cavities, and she smiled brightly. She had almost forgotten how good of a cook her mother was.

"Good morning.", she said in a cheerful manner as she entered the room.

Before taking a seat she kissed her father's cheek and sat next to him, Sarah was sitting next to their mother, who was sitting in front of Barbara. And Jimmy was sitting next to Babs.

Everyone else replied to her greeting with one of their own, all except her father, who was reading the newspaper intently. She looked at the front page; there was a large picture of the Gotham City Bank, and above the image written in big bold letters **The Joker Strikes Again**…

_The Joker? _, she thought curiously.

Her mother's gaze followed hers and when she saw her husband becoming upset quickly she cleared her throat loudly.

"James, honey…don't you have to go to work?", she asked pleasantly, but her eyes filled with worry.

"Yes.", he replied shortly before putting the newspaper down on the table and standing up. He kissed his wife on the cheek, followed shortly by Barbara, Jimmy and Sarah.

"Goodbye…honey…Babs…Jimmy…Sarah.", he emphasized each and every one of their names, giving all of them a different, but very special loving look.

As soon as he was out of the door, and Jimmy and Sarah were in their room. Barbara gave her a mother a curious look.

"What was that all about?"

Barbara Sr. looked nervous like she didn't want to talk about it.

"I'm going to tell you, but don't tell your father I'm telling you this…There getting close to the mob, he's working with the Batman to catch Maroni, the new head of the Falcone family. And your father has been under a lot of stress, he feels that if he doesn't get the mob now, there won't be another chance."

Well, that made sense; her father had been fighting the mafia for years. Every time he came close to shutting them down, something would happen, a plan would go wrong, and they would simply walk away.

But that didn't answer her main question, who exactly was this Joker…

"Who's the Joker?"

Her mother tensed at that question.

"They say he's a thief and a murderer… He leaves a calling card…a joker card. That's why they call him the joker. I don't really know much more about him, your father doesn't talk about him much, every time I ask him he changes the subject."

_A thief and a murderer. Like that surprises me, after all this is Gotham. _, she thought bitterly.

As her mother started washing the dirty plates and cleaning the dinner table, Junior began reading the newspaper carefully. The Joker had apparently stolen sixty-eight million dollars from the Gotham City Bank, and if Babs remembered correctly the City Bank happened to be a mob bank. Whoever this Joker guy was, he certainly was brave, to mess with the mob so openly.

The mob probably won't be that upset about the missing money after all they had billions, but the disrespect and humiliation that would certainly piss them off. This Joker guy was in trouble, Maroni and the others would probably put a bounty on his head, if they hadn't already.

She started browsing articles, not finding anything really interesting. Not until she found one particular article that made her stop and read.

**Harvey Dent : Gotham's White Knight**

**By : Vicki Vale**

The article was interesting, if not completely amateur. The whole thing looked like it was written by a middle school girl with a crush, then again this was Vicki Vale. Oh yes, Babs remembered her, they went to High School together. Vicki Vale could be described in three words; _delusional, blonde, and headstrong_. It wasn't that Vicki was a bad person, she was just too naïve in her political views. She thinks everything could be fixed with a magic wand.

Vicki was one of the open Batman supporters, and it looked like she was a fan of this Dent guy as well.

Harvey Dent, or as the article called him, _Gotham's White Knight_, was the new District Attorney; the article made him seem like he was one of the idealistic stubborn types…She looked at the picture above the article, this Harvey guy was handsome in an all American boy…or should she say man, kind of way. He had a chiseled jaw, strong features, white pearly teeth, and yellow blond hair.

Babs wasn't a fan of blond guys, but this Harvey Dent looked really good, blond hair and all. He was smart too, in the article it said he'd graduated from Princeton and Gotham U with honors, and he was evidently dating Babs' good friend Rachel Dawes, which already put him on Barbara's good list. After all Rachel always went for the optimistic good guy types.

The only thing Barbara didn't like, was the fact that the article made him sound like he was Gotham's only hope for salvation. Should the people of Gotham bet everything on just one man? It doesn't seem like the practical thing to do, and she really hoped that Dent could live up to the expectations. Otherwise…there would be a lot of disappointed people.

--

Barbara was desperately bored…She had been watching TV all day, and pretty much had nothing else to do. Just then she heard her cell phone ring loudly.

"Hello.", she said in a bored tone not even bothering to look at the caller ID.

"Barbara, is that you?"

Even though Barbara hadn't heard that voice in over eight years, she knew it was Rachel Dawes.

"Rachel…Hey; how did you get my number?", she asked curiously.

Rachel chuckled before replying, "Actually your father gave it to me. He suggested I call you."

Barbara made a mental note to thank her father later.

"Thank God you called. I've never been more bored than I am today."

"Well sounds like you need help…Look me and Harvey are heading to lunch, do you want me to pick you up?"

_Harvey…Well this could get awkward._, she thought uneasily.

"Well I don't want to intrude on you guys…", but before she could finish her statement, Rachel interrupted her.

"You're not interrupting. You're my friend, who I haven't seen in over eight years. Plus Harvey wants to meet you."

"Harvey wants to meet me?" She didn't really believe Rachel was telling the truth.

"Yeah, see I've told him all about you, so he's dying to meet you.", Rachel said giggling slightly.

Well it was either stay home, and die of boredom, or have a very awkward dinner with Rachel and _Gotham's White Knight_.

Who was she kidding she'd take Dawes and her boyfriend any day.

"Okay. I'll be here waiting."

--

The drive had been filled with tension and awkward silence, and Barbara hoped the actual lunch would go better.

The threesome settled for a nice café; they sat in one of the tables in the sidewalk.

Barbara and Harvey both ordered coffee, while Rachel settled for some tea.

Harvey and Rachel sat really close to each other, whispering in each other's ears and giggling shamelessly at each other.

Barbara felt lonelier with them than she did by herself.

Rachel who seemed to notice her friend's discomfort cleared her throat before moving away from Harvey and closer to Barbara.

"So Babs…Harvard huh?" Rachel asked trying pathetically to make conversation.

"Yeah, Harvard.", she replied in a flat tone.

"Well was it as hard as they say?"

This time Harvey was the one to speak.

"No…Well not if you seduce all your professors."

Babs said jokingly, but apparently Rachel and Harvey didn't get it. They just sat there with their mouths ajar.

"It was a joke."

Rachel let out a hesitant chuckle and Harvey followed with one of his own. Barbara had to stop herself from rolling her eyes.

_People today and their nonexistent sense of humor._, she thought dryly while sipping her coffee.

Well if nobody else was going to break the blatant tension, then she was going to have to do it herself.

"You know Harvey, I read the most interesting article about you."

"Really?", he asked grinning widely.

"Yeah, apparently your _Gotham's White Knight_…_it's only hope for salvation_.", she said lightheartedly as she leaned over the table towards him.

"Really, did the article say that?", he questioned smiling; it was obvious that he was flattered.

"I'm quoting it word by word."

Rachel laughed quietly, "Please don't inflate his ego any more or he's going to burst."

"Who wrote that anyway?", she finished while punching Harvey lightly in the arm.

"Vicki Vale.", she said smugly as she leaned back in her chair.

Rachel frowned and Harvey's eyes widened in shock.

"Vicki Vale?", he asked slowly.

"Yeah, you know her?"

Rachel's frown deepened, "Yes he knows her. They dated long ago."

Internally Barbara laughed, even though she tried not to let her amusement show.

_Oh my God…Harvey, the White Knight, dated Vicki Vale, blonde ambition in the flesh._

Even though she didn't like seeing Rachel upset, Barbara had to admit the whole situation was comical.

After cracking a couple of jokes on Vicki Vale's expense, Rachel and Harvey started laughing and from then on the lunch went smoothly.

It actually went better than smoothly, Harvey and Barbara got along just fine; mostly because she had not only amused him, but flattered him as well.

Other than having a large ego, Dent was an overall good guy. He really was trying to clean up Gotham's streets and eradicate the mob.

Who knows maybe Dent would prove Barbara wrong…Maybe he was Gotham's only hope for salvation.

Before they left, Rachel pulled Barbara to the side.

"You start Monday."

"Start what?" Barbara asked bewildered.

"Your job."

Rachel responded smiling before walking towards Harvey's car. It took sometime for Barbara to follow. She was smiling widely when she got home. She had barely been a day in Gotham and already she had a job.

-

Please review...


	2. The trial and its aftermath

**-**

**Chapter Two**

**The trial and its aftermath**

The weekend went fast, perhaps to fast, which for Babs was actually a good thing. As much as Barbara loved spending time at home and with her family, she felt like she was being useless. Not doing absolutely anything for three days. So when Monday came, she was more than excited to wake up early get dressed and go to work.

She tried to dress appropriately; putting on a black pencil skirt and a long sleeved white cotton shirt, and black flat shoes.

Her father offered to drive her to County where she would be working from now on. The lieutenant wasn't too keen on his daughter working in County, he warned her about the people over there, how they might be on Maroni's paycheck, and Barbara tried very hard not to roll her eyes at her father's accusations. Either he was being way to overprotective, or he was paranoid. God knows maybe both.

Figures that the first day she starts working they have a big case against Maroni and his chums. She sat next to Rachel and Mr. Johnson, another of the many lawyers in the Maroni case.

About fifteen minutes passed and the man of the hour, Dent, had yet to arrive.

Finally the door pushed open and Dent came in looking rushed and yet at the same time still managing to look smug. He sat to Rachel and fumbled with a couple of papers.

"Sorry I'm late.", he said apologetically to Rachel.

But apparently the apology didn't work, instead Rachel's frown deepened.

"I thought the D.A.'s job was just to play golf with the mayor; stuff like that.", Maroni spoke with that obnoxious tone of his.

Of course Dent had a comeback, "Tee-off's at one-thirty. That's more than enough time to put _you_ away, _Sally_."

Barbara smirked at the nickname.

"Good one, Dent.", she said frankly.

"Thanks."

Everyone stood as the judge entered and then sat down.

Harvey then turned to Rachel, "Who should go first?"

Rachel gave him a confused look before speaking.

"What do you mean?"

Harvey reached into one of his jacket pockets and pulled out a coin.

"Heads, I go; tails, you go."

" You'd leave something like this up to chance."

Rachel gave Harvey a skeptical look, Barbara only rolled her eyes. As good of a guy as Dent was, his ego was the size of China.

"If I remember correctly that's what you like about me. It got me my first date with you."

Rachel looked even more annoyed, "I wouldn't leave something like that up to chance."

"Dent, just flip the damn coin." Barbara finally spoke rushed.

He flipped the coin dramatically before revealing it, thankfully it landed on "heads".

As much as Barbara loved Rachel she didn't think she could handle a case like this.

Harvey stood up and started questioning one of Maroni's thugs.

Harvey was looking smug as he questioned the witness.

"Is the leader of the Falcone crime family in this courtroom today?"

After some small talk, Dent finally arrived to the million dollar question.

The witness smirked, "He sure is."

Harvey smirked as well and looked confidently at Maroni before continuing with his questioning. "Could you identify him, please?"

"Yeah, it was me.", the thug spoke conceitedly.

Now it was Maroni's turn to smirk as the whole courtroom burst in laughter. Dent looked taken aback by the witness' statement.

Rachel fumbled with some papers as she handed Harvey the witness' written statement.

"I have here, a signed statement by you, saying that Salvatore Maroni is the head of the Falcone crime family. Is that true?", he said as he waved the folder in the witness' face, he sounded angry.

"Maroni's just a fall guy. He doesn't know nothing. I'm the brains of the operation."

The thug didn't change his lame story. Barbara rolled her eyes and smirked. Did this idiot really think people would believe someone as idiotic as him would be the head of one of the most powerful families in the criminal underworld. Apparently the courtroom though the same thing, as they burst into laughter again.

"Your honor, permission to treat the witness as hostile."

Harvey spoke to the judge who looked just as irritated.

"Granted."

"I'll show you hostile!", the witness said as he pulled out a gun only for it to jam as Harvey punched him in the face and took it.

The force of the punch was such that the thug flew into a couple of officers' arms.

"Carbon fiber. .28 caliber, made in China. If you want to kill a public servant, Mr. Maroni, I recommend you buy American.", he described the gun before placing it on Maroni's desk.

Judge Surrillo had enough, "Remove this man into custody!", she said speaking to the officers who were holding Maroni's thug.

"But Your Honor, I'm not done."

The courtroom burst into cheers and applause.

Barbara clapped loudly as well. Dent had guts; you'd think after almost getting killed in a courtroom, he'd be scared and run away, but not Dent, he was special.

"Wow, I'm impressed.", Barbara admitted following Rachel and Harvey outside.

"So am I…It's too bad that we couldn't link the gun to Maroni but the fact that they're trying to kill you shows that we're getting to them."

Rachel almost looked excited about the fact that her boyfriend almost got his head blown to bits in an open courtroom.

"Well, I'm glad that you're so concerned over my well-being. Oh, I'm fine, by the way.", he said sarcastically.

"Come on, Harvey. You're Gotham's new District Attorney. If you're not getting shot at, then you're not doing your job right…But you know if you're really worked up, we could go to my apartment and take the rest of the day off.", Rachel said flirtatiously while leaning on Harvey.

"Eww, if you guys are going to start acting all lovey-dovey, please don't do it around me."

Barbara said while her face contorted in a disgusted grimace.

"I'm afraid I can't Rachel, actually I have to talk to Barbara's father."

"Why are you meeting my father?"

"I want to talk to him about Maroni. I think you're father has an advantage he hasn't told us about."

Barbara stopped and gave Harvey a stern look, "What advantage?"

Rachel looked between the two before speaking, "Yeah, what advantage do you think the lieutenant has over Maroni?"

"I think he's working with the Batman.", he said in his infinite smug tone.

Barbara laughed loudly while Rachel tensed as soon as _Batman_ dropped into the conversation.

"You're serious?"

"Yeah…Well excuse me ladies, I have to go."

Just before he left Rachel pecked his cheek, "Lt. Gordon is a friend, so be nice."

"Yeah and if I hear you weren't, I'll kick you're ass, Dent."

Barbara said with a bit of threat in her voice.

Harvey didn't answer just nodded before walking away to his office.

"So, you wanna go get some coffee, there's a Starbucks near."

Barbara said after awhile, Rachel nodded smiling before speaking.

"Only if you pay."

-


	3. Encounters with a bat

**AN: **Thanks for the lovely reviews, and before the story begins I have to answer a question, in one of the reviews someone asked if this was going to be a Barbara/Joker fic. And let me respond that **no**, definetly not. Even though in my profile I stated that one of my fav couples was Babs/Joker, that's strickly in the comic verse. Frankly I don't see LedgerJoker with anyone. He's too much of a sociopath. The romance is secondary and it's mostly Harvey/Rachel, Rachel/Bruce, Barbara/Batman, Barbara/Harvey. I will include some Harley Quinn/Joker, but I warn you their relationship will be just like in the comics, one-sided and abusive.

--

**Chapter Three**

**Encounters with a bat**

The night after the trial Barbara had a strong urge to speak with her father. The truth is she was quite curious about what Harvey had told her that morning. His hypothesis about how her father was working with the Batman to wipe out the mob worried her.

Was her father, Lt. James Gordon, really working with the man-bat? Did her father know what he was getting himself into?

No he probably didn't. Her father, like herself, was an idealist, and she knew he would do anything legally…or at least almost legal to catch Maroni and the rest of his posse.

But working with the Batman, that was dangerous…Not because she thought the Batman would hurt him, but because of the way people thought of the Batman.

Most of the people in Gotham, including Mayor Garcia and Commissioner Loeb, didn't really consider Batman a hero. Actually they were the ones that put a warrant for his arrest as soon as he arrived at the scene.

Barbara had never seen the Batman, mostly because she didn't live in Gotham for eight years, and the Batman showed up three years ago.

But even people who had lived in Gotham back then and still did today had never even caught a glimpse of the Caped Crusader. Some even considered him a myth, a legend or a rumor that had been made by the media. But Babs knew better, the Batman existed, after all just three years ago, he'd caught Carmine Falcone, and rescued Gotham from Crane's fear toxin.

Babs waited patiently for her father to come home. She made herself some coffee and waited in the kitchen.

She heard a rattle of keys and the sound of the door opening and closing lightly.

"Dad, is that you?", she asked quietly not wanting to wake up her mother and her siblings who were in their rooms sleeping peacefully.

"Babs?", he asked entering the kitchen.

"Babs, what are you doing awake at this hour? Don't you have work tomorrow?"

"Yes, but I need to speak with you. Please sit down."

Gordon sat down next to Barbara and gave her a puzzled look.

"What do you want to talk about, sweetie?"

Barbara looked her father straight in the eyes before responding.

"Are you working with the Batman?"

The lieutenant's eyes widened considerably. "How do you know?", he blurted out without really thinking.

"So it's true. You are working with Batman." It wasn't a question this time, but a statement.

"Yes.", her father finally admitted sounding defeated.

Barbara frowned, "Why? Do you know how much trouble this could cause you? Not just you, but us…you're family."

"It's the only way we can get rid of the mafia. Look we're getting close to catching Maroni and when we do, I'll stop working with the Batman. I promise, but right now I need him."

His pleading gaze was telling her to please let the subject go, and well she knew her father spoke the truth. He wasn't a man to lie.

"Alright, but you promised. As soon as you catch Maroni and the others, you stop working with this bat fellow."

"I promise."

They both stood up, and all of the sudden Babs started to feel extremely tired despite all the coffee she had consumed in the last few hours.

Her father gave her a tight hug before whispering 'goodnight' and heading towards the master bedroom. Barbara followed him up the stairs heading towards her own bedroom.

As she let slumber take over, she couldn't stop thinking about her father's dangerous alliance with the Batman. She just hoped they caught the mob quickly, and her father kept his promise.

--

Work today had been especially strenuous, not only had Barbara had a lot of paper work to deal with, but Harvey was apparently pissed off with her father because he had refused to let him meet Batman, so of course he took his anger out on her by giving her even more paper work and making her get his lunch.

Barbara swore that Dent seemed to have some misplaced idol worship when it came to the Caped Crusader.

Sure Dent could be a little demeaning, but she knew where he was coming from; like her father, Dent believe the only way to catch the mob was with Batman's help.

The Batman after all had incredible resources. For a reason she couldn't decipher though her father refused to let Harvey in their plans. Sure Dent could be an asshole when he wanted to, but he was good guy, who lived for justice.

Just as she was walking the almost empty sidewalks, she decided to take a shortcut through one of the alleyways.

When she was almost out of the alley, she felt something at the back of her neck.

"Back up.", the voice was rough and forceful.

Then Barbara realized that the thing she felt at the back of her neck was the barrel of a gun.

_Oh God. Oh God, I'm getting mugged._, she thought while panicking.

She did as the mugger told her, she backed further into the alleyway until she was behind a dumpster.

"Turn around."

Again she did as she was told turning around slowly. The guy had a ski mask on, he was a few inches taller than her, and muscular by the looks of it.

She couldn't fight this guy. She was probably going to loose her brand new Gucci purse along with all her money and her credit cards.

But she'd rather loose her purse than her life. She handed him the purse, but instead of taking it, he threw on the floor instead.

"You think I want money. No. I want something else."

The tone in his voice, and the lustful look in his eyes told her just what he wanted from her.

Great barely a week in Gotham and she was about to get raped in an alleyway.

"Please don't. Take my purse, but just don't.", she tried pleading, but to no avail.

"Shut up.", he said while backhanding her roughly.

Her head flew from the impact; she closed her eyes finally surrendering.

After a couple of seconds passed and nothing happened. She opened her eyes to see her attacker, but she was surprised with what she saw.

The man who had tried to attack her was hanging upside down.

"How the hell?", she said baffled while inspecting the man carefully.

Some kind of string was holding him; the man also looked like he had been knocked out.

"Are you alright?", a deep husky voice surprised her.

She turned around to see her savior, and who else could it be, but the masked vigilante himself.

He was standing there in all his bat glory.

His suit, the cape, everything was so…impressive and intimidating.

"Its you. The Batman."

He didn't respond at all just handed her back the expensive Gucci purse that had fallen on the ground.

"Thank you.", she said accepting her purse and clutching it to her chest.

He merely nodded his head before taking out a special looking gun from his belt and shooting it up. A long tight rope came out and before she knew it the Batman was flying up until she could no longer see him.

Okay maybe, just maybe she had been wrong about the Batman.

--


	4. The art of persuasion

**AN : **Just so you guys know Barbara is suppose to look like Emily Blunt, they way she did in _The Devil Wears Prada_, the only difference is Emily has blue eyes and Babs has green eyes. I have a link to a picture of her in my profile, so if anyone is curious just go to my profile, and I have pics there. I also have pics of how Vicki Vale and Harleen Quinzel are suppose to look like.

**Chapter Four**

**The art of persuasion**

A week had passed, and Dent had yet to convince the lieutenant to let him meet the infamous Batman.

It didn't surprise Barbara though; she knew her father didn't really trust Dent. She'd heard of the names they called him when he was working in internal affairs.

It was well known that Dent wasn't very fond of the people in her father's office, and the feelings were reciprocated.

Harvey was getting more frustrated with Gordon's lack of cooperation, and poor Barbara was the one paying for his frustration.

Her paper work doubled and every day she had to run to the nearest fast food joint and get Dent his lunch.

Another boring work day, Rachel was busy with a case right now so Babs was alone finishing her usual paper work when she felt a looming figure above her.

She looked up to see Harvey standing there, his hands in his pockets looking down at her innocently.

"What?", she asked curiously and at the same time annoyed. After all he was the one making her do all this work.

She almost felt like suing Dent for slave labor.

"It's lunch time."

"Oh, I forgot. Don't worry as soon as I'm finished I'll run down to the nearest Subway and get you something.", she said rushed while returning to her paper work.

Harvey chuckled lightly before speaking again. "No, don't worry about it. Actually I was going to ask you if you wanted to head down with me to Café Luna, and we could you know…have lunch together."

Surprise by his statement she looked up to try and see if he was playing a joke on her. But when she looked into his eyes all she could see was genuine honesty.

Maybe she should say no after all she didn't want people to get the wrong impression, after all Harvey was dating Rachel, and Rachel was her friend…and for some reason having lunch with Harvey alone was almost too intimate.

She tried to think up excuses why to say no, but she just couldn't find any.

"I…I…okay."

Let people believe what they wanted to believe. After all it was just a friendly lunch between co-workers…or at least between an employee and her boss.

She tried to clean up her desk as best as she possibly could before heading down with Harvey to Café Luna.

Café Luna was this really expensive little café at the street across their offices.

While crossing the street Barbara unconsciously clutched Harvey's hand. Harvey didn't seem to mind at all. He held her hand tight while the crossed the street all the way to the café. When they entered the establishment Barbara let go of his hand quickly.

Babs ordered small cucumber sandwiches and some coffee, while Harvey settled for a coke and noodle soup.

They sat on a secluded table in the back and ate quietly.

"Barbara."

Barbara looked up from her meal and gave Harvey a curious look.

"I need your help."

Her help, why did Harvey need her help?

"Why do you need my help?"

Harvey's eyes were sincere as he spoke to her.

"I need you to convince you're father to let me be a part of this plan he has with the Batman."

So the truth came out. She knew there was hidden reason as to why Dent was being so nice to her. She should have seen this coming.

"No…I can't believe you'd even ask. I can't just tell my father to include you in his so called plans with the Batman, and even if I do, what's to tell you he'll actually listen to me. How do you even know he's working with the Batman for real?"

"Why else would he have that searchlight in his roof? Tell me the truth Barbara. Did he tell you he was working with Batman?"

Barbara didn't want to betray her father, but Harvey's penetrating blue gaze met her own, and she couldn't find it in her heart to lie to him.

"Yes. He told me."

Harvey laughed loudly, "I knew it. I just knew it."

Babs just glared at him. "I still won't help you."

Dent stopped laughing before giving Barbara a serious look. He fumbled while he reached for something in his jacket pocket.

He clutched something shiny in his hand. She then realized the shiny object Dent had taken out of his pocket was his lucky family coin, the one he had previously used in the courtroom.

"Okay…heads, you convince your dad to let me meet the Batman and include me in their plans; tails, you don't have to do anything.", he said while looking proudly at his employee.

Babs just sat there with her mouth partially open.

"Are you kidding?"

Harvey just shook his head and gave her his signature grin.

He was actually serious about this.

"No.", she said not even giving it a second thought.

He looked down at the table, the smile coming off his face.

"Well then…you're fired."

"What?!", she shouted in shock.

A couple of people sitting in a few tables near them gave them a curious look.

"Look what do you have to loose? Just humor me okay.", he spoke giving her a strange look she couldn't quite decipher.

"Okay."

She finally gave up; at least she had a fifty percent chance.

He flipped the coin letting it land on his hand before revealing it slowly.

Just her luck it landed on 'heads'.

"I win.", he whispered quietly before looking at a very defeated looking Barbara.

--

Later that night as Barbara arrived home; she was debating in her mind whether she should tell her father about the whole Batman thing. Was Harvey serious when he said he'd fired her?

If it was true or not, she wasn't going to wait to find out.

As soon as she arrived home she started looking for her father, the sooner she got this over with, the better.

"Dad?"

No one answered and she wondered if he had yet to come home.

She walked into the kitchen only to find her mother washing the dishes.

"He's in the living room.", her mother answered.

Babs thanked her mother before heading to the living room where she found her father sprawled on the couch watching something that involved sports. She sat down next to him, he turned to face her slowly. He eyed her suspiciously.

"What? Can't I watch a football game with you without being suspicious?", she asked innocently.

"You hate football, and this isn't football game, it's a baseball game."

"I knew that…Remember you took me to a baseball game when I was little…I remember."

Gordon smiled at his grown daughter before putting his arm around her shoulder.

Barbara was starting to feel sick; she couldn't use her father's love like this.

"Dad, I need a favor. Well it's not really for me.", she said slowly.

Her father eyed her before nodding at her to continue.

"You don't have to do it if you want. I need…I need you to really consider including Harvey in your plans with Batman."

Her father let go of her quickly.

"Did he put you up to this?", he asked angrily.

She nodded before defending her boss. "Look, he really wants to help, and you need his help as well. You know he's the only person that can prosecute the mob. And he'll never be able to if you keep him in the dark."

Her father ignored her before speaking.

"I can't believe he'd use my own daughter for his benefit."

"Please dad, he's not using me. I'm doing my job, he's my boss.", she lied before reminding him that she worked for Harvey and that her career depended on his decision.

Her father huffed before turning towards her.

"Okay. Tell him to meet me tomorrow."

"Meet you where?"

Her father just grinned before answering, "He knows where."

--

As Barbara went to work the next day. She was relieved that she wasn't about to loose her job, but at the same time she was very upset at Harvey for using her against her own father.

What she's done was immoral, she'd used her father's unconditional love for her to benefit Harvey's political career.

She placed her things in her counter angrily and even ignored Rachel as she stormed into Harvey's office.

"I did it."

Harvey looked up from his desk and smiled. She wanted to wipe that smile off his face, but she couldn't. After all he was her boss. She walked closer towards him before sitting down.

"So it went well I take it.", he spoke to her with his obnoxious know-it-all tone of his.

"Yes, it went well. He told me he'd meet you tonight."

"Where?"

She sighed before answering, "He said you'd know."

Harvey frowned before the line in his forehead creased in concentration. She could tell he was thinking of possible places the lieutenant meant.

After a few seconds of thought he whispered one word. "The searchlight."

Of course why didn't Barbara think of that.

Silence filled the office, until unexpectedly the door slammed open. Both Harvey and Babs turned to see who the intruder was.

It was Rachel of course who looked extremely pissed.

"You guys aren't going to believe what happened."

"What?", Harvey asked a bit impatiently.

Rachel breathed deeply before responding. "The mob's glorified accountant Lau has just fled to Hong Kong. Not only that but he took all of the mob's money with him."

"What?!" Harvey shouted in rage.

Barbara was just as shocked and angry as both her friends. They lost Lau and the money.

How where they going to get Maroni and his chums now?

--

Please review.


	5. Conflicting emotions

**AN** : I made a Babs icon, it's on my profile. In this chappie I kind of I made a mistake, I think I messed up the timelines a bit. I think in the movie the roof scene comes after the dinner, but whatever it's my fic. Even though I am trying to be as faithful to the movie as possible, because the film is a masterpiece.

* * *

**Chapter Five**

**Conflicting emotions**

So that night Harvey went to the Mayor Crime Units' roof to meet with Babs' father and the Batman fellow. Like any good employee, Babs of course followed him up to the roof.

"I still don't know why you followed me up here.", he said annoyed by her presence.

"I am here to make sure you behave yourself."

Harvey barked a laugh before turning the searchlight on.

"What are you my mother?"

Barbara chuckled slightly before responding, "No I'm your employee. But don't you forget I'm the lieutenant's daughter as well. I have as much right to be here as you do."

"I hope the bat gets here fast."

Dent spoke after awhile.

"Why in such a hurry, Dent?"

"I have date with Rachel tonight. I'm taking her to that fancy new restaurant. What's it called?"

"El ileon.", she answered.

He nodded quickly after recognizing the name.

"That's the place."

"Well good luck with the date.", she tried to put as much honesty as she could into the statement, but for some reason she lacked it.

After that particular conversation ended silence fell upon them for a few minutes until Barbara heard the sound of rustling fabric. When she turned around she saw Batman step out of the shadows.

"You're here.", she said slowly.

She admired him slowly, sure she was acting like a girl with a crush, and maybe she did have a small crush on the masked vigilante. After all he had saved her, and he was rather…impressive. Babs wouldn't admit it out loud, but the real reason for her presence there in the roof wasn't her just to keep tabs on her father and Dent, but the fact that after her encounter with Batman, she had found herself wanting to see him again.

Harvey turned as he heard her speak, and his eyes widened as he took in the Batman's appearance for the first time.

"You're a hard man to reach.", he said with the tiniest bit of sarcasm.

Just then her father stormed into the roof and turned off the Bat-signal angrily.

Dent turned to her father speaking heatedly, "Lau's halfway to Hong Kong. If you would've asked I could've taken his passports! I told you to keep me in the loop!"

Her father didn't stay far behind in the blame game.

"All that was left in the vaults were _marked bills_! They _knew_ we were coming! As soon as your office got involved…"

He was interrupted by Harvey, who tried to defend himself against the accusations.

"_My_ office?! You're sitting down there with _scum_ like Wuertz and Ramirez and you're talking to…", he stopped when Gordon gave him a surprised look.

Harvey laughed bitterly before continuing, "Oh yeah, Gordon. I almost had your rookie cold on a racketeering beef!"

"Don't try to cloud the fact that _clearly_ Maroni has people in your office, Dent!", the lieutenant yelled back in retort.

Barbara had enough of the two men fighting putting herself in between them.

"Stop…We need Lau back. But the Chinese won't extradite a national under _any_ circumstances.", she told the Batman who merely nodded his head.

Then the Batman turned to Dent, "If I get him to you, can you get him to talk?"

"I'll get him to _sing_.", the district attorney replied.

Lt. Gordon turned towards Dent before speaking.

"We're going after the mob's life savings. Things will get ugly.", he warned the idealistic D.A.

"I knew the risks when I took this job, Lieutenant.", he said arrogantly before turning towards Batman's direction.

"How will you get him back any…", he stopped when he noticed the Batman was already gone.

Confused and shocked both Babs and Harvey turned towards Gordon.

"He does that."

--

Barbara went home with her father after the meeting in the roof.

She was of course extremely bored watching some mindless TV show.

_Maybe I should go out__…_, she thought before discarding the ridiculous idea.

Where would she go, at this hour? There was nowhere to go. At least nowhere safe.

Hum, maybe she'd run into trouble and meet the Batman again. What was she thinking, putting her life in danger just to meet Batman again. Maybe she didn't just have a crush, maybe she was just crazy.

As insane as the idea of putting her life at risk to meet the Caped Crusader, Barbara couldn't help, but considering the idea.

_No…No, stop thinking like that Babs. How do you even know he'd show up?_

The voice inside her head was right, Batman had better things to do than save a delusional lawyer.

Barbara's boredom only increased as hours passed by. She took out her laptop from its faux leather case.

She entered the Gotham Gazette's official website reading new stories and articles, to see if anything interesting had happened lately. She kept an eye out for any stories that might have something to do with Maroni or the rest of the mafia.

She found a couple of interesting articles, among them;

**Crane back in Arkham, now as patient**

Well that was ironic, Dr. Jonathan Crane who had once reigned in Arkham terrorizing many of his patients with his fear toxin, had officially been assigned at Arkham as a patient after his trial. The Batman of course had caught Crane.

Even though it took him a long time to catch the former psychiatrist.

After all Crane had avoided the bat like a plague for two years, he had even left Gotham, but came back a couple of months ago, and decided to sell his fear toxin as a drug to the desperate mobsters who were running out of drugs to sell.

Barbara yawned loudly, she decided to give it a rest closing her computer before heading to her room.

--

The next day work was as usual; paper work, more paper work, and even more paper work.

Barbara was starting to get a headache after so much reading and signing this and that.

She loved her job, after all she knew she making Gotham a better place by helping Dent and Rachel in their search for justice, but that didn't mean that it wasn't incredibly boring.

That day however Rachel looked exhausted as she arrived. She slumped in her desk which was right next to Babs'.

"Rachel…Hey Dawes are you okay?", she asked concerned.

Rachel who looked like she had dozed off for a while, awoke startled before composing herself.

"I'm fine Babs. It's just I'm really tired."

_Oh…_

"I understand…_late night activities_ probably kept you up." Barbara said, her voice was dripping with hidden innuendo.

"No…Not that.", the brunette spoke laughing quietly.

"We just stayed up really late, the date ran a little long."

Barbara smiled, "So the date went well I take it."

"Well not exactly."

Well that sounded interesting…

Barbara moved her chair closer to Rachel's desk. She didn't want to look like a gossip, but she was bored.

"Spill…How exactly did it go?"

Rachel chuckled at her friend's enthusiasm.

"Okay…Everything was going great you know. We got a really nice table, we were talking, and then…Bruce shows up."

Well this was definitely interesting.

"Bruce…as in Bruce Wayne, the billionaire?"

"Yes, that Bruce…Anyway Bruce sort of just shows up with this statuesque blonde, and he pulled a table next to ours.", she finished annoyed.

"And they let him. I thought that place is really strict about its policies."

"He owns the place.", she said in an irritated tone.

And who could blame her. One would think they guy would take a hint, but it seems that he wasn't giving up that easily.

"Wow…that guy is persistent isn't he?"

Rachel huffed before answering, "You have no idea."

"So keep going I'm intrigued."

Barbara encouraged her friend to continue her story.

"Anyway, then Bruce starts teasing Harvey, his blonde date starts lecturing about how unsafe Gotham is, and how the Batman is a bad influence, blah, blah…You know, now that I think about it, she was flirting with Harvey all night…It was so…awkward."

Poor Rachel caught in between two men, Harvey Dent, Gotham's White Knight, and Bruce Wayne, billionaire playboy.

Rachel was lucky, Babs didn't even have one guy pining over. She wished men like Harvey and Wayne would take an interest in her, but alas that was not the case.

"Rachel, do you still have feelings for Wayne?"

Rachel gave her friend a surprised look, she really hadn't been expecting that question.

The assistant D.A. looked conflicted over the question; she loved Harvey, but of course there were some lingering feelings over Bruce. After all he had been her first love.

"Yes, but I don't love him, not like I love Harvey. I'm certain of that."

Barbara sure hoped Rachel was telling the truth, because as much as Babs loved and cared for Rachel, she wasn't going to let her hurt Harvey. Dent was good guy and he didn't deserve to have his heart broken.

-


	6. Meetings of sort

**AN**: Thank you for the encouraging reviews. That's all I really have to say.

PS. Vicki Vale is suppose to look like Kate Hudson, for some reason she's the only person I can see as Vicki.

* * *

**Chapter Six**

**Meetings of sort**

Two days passed and nothing really interesting happened. Barbara was starting to believe her whole life from now on would revolve around paper work. She really hoped that the Batman could bring Lau back. Maybe then she would actually get the chance to step back into a courtroom.

That particular day at work something unexpected happened, or at least someone uninvited showed up.

Babs was doing her work as usual; from the corner of her eye she could see someone walk up to her. She looked up and surprise, surprise. The person standing there in front of her was no other than Vicki Vale.

Vicki had not changed a bit since high school, her blonde hair was straightened, she had minimal make up; and she was wearing wool herringbone trousers, a long sleeved silk shirt, and wool angora jacket with gold-toned buttons. She looked in other words expensive and professional, and of course, incredibly beautiful.

"Well look who it is…Barbie Gordon. I had heard of the rumors you were working here. I guess for once gossip was right.", Vicki spoke, her voice had gotten deeper, but it was just as bright as Babs remembered.

Vicki was one of those people you desperately wanted to hate, but for some reason you couldn't.

Contrary to popular belief Barbara didn't hate Vicki Vale, she was perhaps jealous of the blonde, and maybe a little annoyed, but she did not hate her.

"Vicki, what are you doing here?", she asked with a worried look on her face, after all she doubted Rachel and Harvey wanted to see the blonde, what with the history she shared with Dent.

"What no hello?", the journalist replied sarcastically before continuing, "I'm here to see Harvey; I have an interview with him today."

Barbara was puzzled; Harvey would have probably told her if he had an interview.

"Are you sure?"

Vicki laughed quietly before responding, "Of course. He called me himself to remind me."

Just as Barbara was about to call Harvey, he stepped out of his office. He didn't act shocked when he saw Vicki standing there in front of Babs' desk. He merely approached her, before giving her a kiss on the cheek.

"Hey Vicki, I believe you have an interview to conduct."

"Well, shall we go?", she asked with a hopeful grin.

He nodded and smiled at the blonde before leading her towards the elevators.

Barbara sat there with her mouth partially open in shock. She couldn't believe that Harvey would actually accept an interview with Vale. When Rachel found out she was not going to be happy.

--

As Barbara headed home that day, her mind raced with different thoughts. As usual her thoughts focused on Batman of course. She thought of him as she passed an alley, remembering her first encounter with the Batman had been in an alleyway where he had rescued her from a man who was about to rape her. She shivered as she remembered what her attacker had in mind, his eyes glazed over with lust.

She immediately felt better as she thought of the masked vigilante, and how he swooped in and rescued her, like a knight in shining armor.

She something collide with her shoulder and she fell down from the impact. She looked up to see who she had collided with, it was a middle aged man in a suit with a briefcase who kept walking as if nothing had happened.

"Jerk.", she muttered under her breath as she laid there for a couple of minutes her head spinning slowly.

She adjusted her vision before sitting up slowly. As she sat up she rubbed her shoulder, it was starting to hurt, and she knew that in the morning she would wake up with a nasty bruise.

"Are you alright?"

Barbara looked up to see another man stop to help her. The man was undeniably handsome. He had dark hair, mysterious dark eyes, and he looked well-built. He was wearing an expensive suit and a blazer.

"Yeah, some guy knocked me down.", she told the kind handsome man.

The man smiled down at her and offered his hand to help her up.

"Thanks.", she whispered as he helped her up.

When she was again in a vertical position she regained her composure and straightened her skirt. The man bend down to pick up her fallen purse. He handed it to her and Babs almost felt a sense of déjà vu, as the Batman had done the same that one time he rescued her in the alleyway.

"Your welcome.", he replied nicely before continuing, "So do you have a name?"

"Oh, yeah…Barbara Gordon.", she said shyly while extending her hand.

His eyes flashed with recognition. "Your Lt. Gordon's daughter, aren't you?", he asked tentatively.

She nodded blushing deeply. For some reason this man seemed to have an effect on her, and effect she only felt when she thought of the Batman.

"Bruce Wayne.", he said taking her hand and shaking it gently.

His hand was warm and big as it encased her small delicate hand. His grip was strong despite the gentleness he applied.

_Bruce Wayne…The Bruce Wayne…_

She stood there for a couple of seconds, not knowing what to say, her mouth agape.

Bruce smiled at her reaction; he chuckled quietly before speaking towards her.

"So are you sure that fall didn't have any current side effects?", he asked teasingly while referring to her current state of shock.

"No, I'm sorry, it's just you're …Bruce…Wayne.", she hesitated as she fumbled with her words. Her mind racing with inappropriate thoughts.

He chuckled as she hesitated.

"You know I don't think you're well enough to walk. I can give you a drive home if you want."

"Okay.", she replied nearly breathless.

He took her hand in his as he guided her towards his car which was parked on the side of the road. She gasped; his car was expensive and beautiful. It was a silver Lamborghini Murcielago Coupe, it had chrome rims, and it was impeccably clean.

He opened the passenger door for Barbara. She stepped into the car slowly and sat. She was nervous as she sat in the car, after all she had never even been close to such an expensive car.

She gave Bruce her directions, apart from her own voice as she instructed him; the ride was quiet, and just a tad awkward. Bruce would hum a bit when ever she told him which street to take, or which corner to turn.

As they arrived at the home she now shared with her family, she thanked him timidly, not really able to look at him straight in the eyes.

She stepped out of the car, but before she could walk away she heard his voice call for her.

"Barbara…"

She turned around to face him. "Yes?"

He gave her a big toothy smile, on any one else it would look silly, but on Bruce Wayne it only added to his handsomeness.

"I'll see you around won't I?", he asked with a hopeful tone.

"Yeah…sure.", she replied unsurely.

"Good. I look forward to our next meeting.", he replied while chuckling slightly.

His car zoomed away, and Barbara sighed dreamily. Now that she thought about it, she wondered why Rachel would ever let go of a man like that.

As she went to sleep that night, she dreamed again of the Batman, but this time when he spoke to her in her dream he had Bruce Wayne's voice.

--


	7. The madman revealed

**AN**: I hope you guys like this chapter, I worked hard on it. Please review after reading.

--

**Chapter Seven**

**The madman revealed**

A week passed; Bruce Wayne left on a love cruise with the entire Russian ballet, the Batman caught Lau and brought him back to Gotham, etc…etc…

So you could say it was eventful week in Gotham. Barbara was excited when she heard the news that Batman had brought Lau back, now Dent could prosecute Maroni and the others.

They were in the Mayor Crimes Unit's building; she was standing with Harvey and her father outside of the interrogation room gazing at Lau who was sitting next to his lawyer. Rachel was questioning him, trying to convince him to spill about Maroni and the others. I was doubtful that anything would work on the accountant. After all for the Mafia there was nothing more despicable than a snitch.

Barbara tried to focus on the words that were being exchanged between Rachel and Lau, but she couldn't. Mainly because she had a huge headache and she was extremely tired as well. Spending all night working does that to a person.

"I'm going to go outside.", she told her father before walking out of the room.

When she walked out of the room, she slumped against the wall. Her hand pressed against her own forehead, it felt clammy against her hand. She swallowed slowly, her throat felt dry, and her body felt much too warm.

Her father walked out of the room with Dent and Rachel. They all looked happy and pleased with whatever agreement they had reached with Lau and his lawyer.

Gordon noticed that Barbara looked unwell and approached her.

"Junior, are you alright?", he said as he put his hand against her forehead as she had done herself minutes earlier.

"Junior you're burning up.", he said with a worried expression.

"Hey Babs, honey are you okay?", this time Rachel spoke; her voice was filled with concern.

Harvey didn't speak, but he also had an alarmed look in his eyes.

"I think I'm coming down with something.", she told them honestly.

The lieutenant put his arm around his daughter's shoulder and helped her all the way towards his office. He sat her in his chair, Rachel followed them into the office.

"Stay here.", he told her carefully before leaving her alone in the office with Rachel.

Rachel watched her friend with worry.

"Do you want me to get you anything?", she asked tentively wanting to make her friend feel better.

Barbara smiled at her friend's concern for her well-being.

"That's alright, Rachel. I'm fine, you have work to do. I'll be okay."

She reassured her friend, who smiled back. Rachel leaned towards Babs and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"Get well soon. We need you, Babs.", she whispered gently in her friend's ear before leaving the lieutenant's office.

Barbara put her head on her father's desk and breathed in deeply. She tried to regulate her breathing, but to no avail.

Her father entered the room a water bottle in one hand and in the other some pills. He set the bottle and the pills in his desk. He touched her shoulder gently.

"Junior. C'mon, I have something that will make you feel better."

She raised her head to look at him.

"Here.", he said handing here two small caplets.

She put both pills in her mouth pushing them down with her tongue. She took the water bottle swallowing a mouth full of water. Feeling the pills go down her throat and into her stomach where in a few minutes they would probably take effect.

--

Since Barbara wasn't feeling very well she stayed in her father's office, while her father, Rachel and Dent were all in court at that very moment. They were charging Maroni and his cronies with God knows how many counts of racketeering, money laundering, blackmail, etc.

She just hoped that Dent's plan worked. She paced her father's office relentlessly. She stepped outside of the office and looked around. People where sitting in their desks answering calls here and there. She recognized one of the officers, Anna Ramirez, she was a good friend of her father's.

"Det. Ramirez.", she says greeting the detective.

The woman smiles at her, "Junior, are you feeling better?", she asked with genuine concern for her boss' eldest daughter.

"Yes, I'm fine. Do you happen to know if the trial is over yet?"

She hoped Ramirez would know, she desperately needed to know how the whole thing had turned out.

"Yes, it was rather quick.", she tells the anxious redhead.

"Oh, and who did it turn out?", she asks curiously.

"It turned out well. Maroni and the other mob bosses, along with their middle management are all being held in police custody until they can post bail."

Barbara gave the detective a small smile, that sounded good… She was sure Dent would find substantial evidence to convict those bastards.

"If the trial is over, where's my father?"

"Oh, the Lieutenant, Mr. Dent and Commissioner Loeb where called by the mayor for a special meeting. Mayor Garcia wasn't very happy about the trial."

Barbara frowned, Mayor Garcia wasn't a bad guy, but he was too biased, that was one of the many reasons Gotham was how it was. He let himself be pushed by the mafia's strong influence. Babs didn't even know how Garcia had managed to get re-elected.

Suddenly they heard a voice; "Hey you guys, turn on the TV."

One of the officers spoke. Det. Stephens who was standing close to the small televison set leaned up and turned it on.

Suddenly all the officers and detectives crowded around the tv. Barbara and Ramirez did the same to see what was all the commotion.

They were all watching a news report;

"_I'm Mike Engel and this is a __GCN special report…We've received breaking news from downtown Gotham. One of the many batman imposters was found murdered. He was found with a noose around his neck, even though we have just learned that this was not the cause of death. It seems the man had been dead for a couple of hours. The man has been identified as Brian Douglas…"_

The image flickered from the blond anchorman to a man dressed in a poor imitation of the bat-suit; he was being lowered down from a building. Barbara immediately recognized the building, that's were she worked.

"_The building may be familiar to most; this is where Mayor Garcia and Harvey Dent's offices reside."_

The image flickered again to Mike Engle, the anchor, as he spoke again.

"_The police have found a video in the roof where the man's body was thrown. We warn you the image is disturbing."_

The image flickered from the anchorman to what looked like a home video. The man who had been hanging from the side of the building was now sitting in what looked like a storage room. Barbara got a better look at the man; middle age, over weight. He looked like most of the guys that Barbara saw every time she walked home from work. His hands were tied behind his back; the man's face was bloody, and it looked like he was beaten up pretty badly.

"_Tell me your name.", the man who was holding the video camera spoke._

His voice sends shivers down Barbara's spine.

"_Brian Douglas.", the man who was tied up spoke as well, he sounded defeated._

"_Are you the real Bat-Man?", the menacing voice behind the camera asked teasingly._

"_N…no.", the hostage stuttered out._

"_No? No?", the voice whined before continuing, "Then why do you dress up like him?"_

_Upwards a purple gloved hand emerged playing with what looked like a Halloween batman mask._

"_Woo hoo hoo hoo!", the voice giggled evilly while swinging the amateur's mask around._

"_Because he's a symbol that we don't have to be afraid of scum like you.", the man…Brian said trying to seem brave, but he failed miserable; his fear was palpable._

"_Yeah…you do Brian. You really do! Yeah…", the man behind the camera got closer to his hostage and began rubbing his face in a painful way. Brian whimpered in terror and tried to pull his face away from his captor. _

"_Shh…shh, shh..", the man petted Brian's face while cooing him._

_Brian's captor stood up and walked away, again maintaining the distance between captor and hostage._

"_So you think Batman's made Gotham a better place? Hm?"_

_Brian didn't answer him, instead he looked away._

"_Look at me…LOOK AT ME!"_

Barbara flinched and jumped slightly at the ferocity and anger in the man's voice.

Then the captor turned the camera on himself, Barbara gasped loudly and she heard some officers and detectives do the same, including Ramirez, who looked away from the television screen for a couple of seconds before looking back at it.

The man's face was covered with scars and makeup.

Along the corners of his lips two long scars went upwards in a mocking Chelsea grin. His lips and scars were accentuated by bright red lipstick. His whole face was covered with white powdery make up, and his eyes were covered in black kohl and eye shadow, reminding Barbara of a raccoon.

Then the madman began speaking again.

"_You see this is how __crazy__ Batman's made Gotham. You want order in Gotham? Batman must take off his mask and turn himself in. Oh, and everyday he doesn't, people will die…starting tonight. I'm a man of my word.", the man licked his lips before laughing hysterically. Brian's screams were barely audible next to the homicidal maniac's creepy laughter._

Then the video stopped, Barbara took a deep breath. Who exactly was this madman?

Barbara had a faint idea of who it could be, but she felt the need to verify her hypothesis.

She turned to Ramirez, who looked just as frightened as she was, except the detective was trying to hide it, but was failing miserably.

"Was that the…?"

Babs was interrupted by Ramirez who verified Babs' assumption.

"That was the Joker."

_The Joker…The Joker__…Joker_

That word ringed in her mind

Barbara wasn't going to lie to herself and pretend that she wasn't afraid of this man, she was very much afraid. No one had ever been able to scare Barbara in her whole entire life the way this man had in a couple of seconds through a tv screen.

When she got home she took a hot shower to try and stop her constant shivering, even though she knew it wasn't because of the cold.

That night as she slept her dreams were not plagued by the Batman as usual, but by a man with a painted on smile and dark wild eyes.

--


	8. The Fundraiser

**AN: **Okay again thanks to all my reviewers who keep encouraging me to go further...

Before moving on with the story I have to answer a question from one of my reviewers. Laurenmlbc, to answer your question. Yes and no. I'm trying to keep Barbara's personality and fire the same as in the comic book, but at the same time I have to make her relevant to the nolanverse. So of course I'm going to change a few things here and there. Like the fact that she's lawyer (which is a lot more believable in the nolanverse, than her being Batgirl)...Let's be honest Chris Nolan would never put Batgirl in the films.

**PS**. A new character is introduced in this chapter, Linda Page, she's a comic book character. In the comic books she was one of Bruce's early girlfriends. Linda in my story is based on Rachel McAdams, I have a link to a picture of her in my profile, in case you guys are curious.

I also have links in my profile for pictures of Babs, Vicki and Linda's dresses for the fundraiser.

This is the longest chapter I've written so far and I'm quite proud of it. So enjoy...

* * *

**Chapter Eight**

**The Fundraiser**

It was Friday and Dent had given Barbara the rest of the night off and she decided she was going to enjoy it. She planned to go to the movies alone, and see that new romantic comedy with Cameron Díaz. Even though it looked mediocre, it was the only film that was playing that looked remotely good.

Just as Barbara was getting dressed for her night alone at the movies, she received a call from her friend Rachel.

"Rachel, hey what's up?", she asked curiously while answering her cell phone.

"Hey, are you ready?"

_Ready…Ready for what?_, Babs thought confused before asking the same question out loud.

"For the fundraiser.", Rachel answered as if it were obvious.

Barbara slapped herself in the forehead, how could she have forgotten Dent's fundraiser, after all it was taking place in Bruce Wayne's penthouse.

"Oh God…I forgot. I'm sorry Rachel, I can't go."

"What? You have to go.", Rachel said in her _don't argue with me tone_.

"Rachel I can't. I don't even have a dress."

She heard Rachel sigh loudly before she heard her speak again.

"What dress size are you?"

She didn't know where her friend was going with this, but instead of arguing further with Rachel she answered her, "I'm a five."

"That's great…I think I have something you can borrow.", her friend says.

"Look I'll come and pick you up, you can get ready in my apartment."

She didn't have time to say anything as Rachel spoke excitedly.

--

Barbara borrowed a beautiful mint green evening dress from Rachel. Her usual shoulder length hair was done up in a simple bun. Rachel also dressed to impress; her long dark hair was up in an elaborate side bun and she wore a midnight blue evening dress. Rachel opted for minimal make up, while Barbara put on just a little bit more, but made sure she didn't over do it. She wanted to look good tonight, just in case she ran into Wayne. She probably would, seeing as the fundraiser was being held in his luxurious penthouse.

Harvey came to pick them both up, he looked as always, immaculately dressed with his usual suit, even though Babs could tell the one he was wearing today was more expensive than the one he usually wore for work. His shoes had been shinned and pressed and his hair was neatly combed.

When they arrived at the fundraiser, lots of people had already arrived and were talking and lounging among their little groups.

Dent was looking around, he looked like a deer caught in the headlights; clearly he barely recognized any of the people there. Rachel walked hand in hand with him, smiling up at him and looking up at him with something akin to adoration. Babs walked a couple of steps behind, seeing as she barely recognized anyone there as well.

"Look at all these people. They came here for you.", Rachel told him encouragingly.

"I'm going to go. I'll be back.", she told the both of them and walked up to a couple of people to greet them.

"Don't leave. Wait.", Harvey tried telling her, but it played on deaf ears.

Then Harvey turned towards Babs, "You're not going to leave me, are you?"

"I don't think I can. I don't know anyone here either.", she said while giving him a small smile.

"A little liquid courage, sir?", asked one of the waiters bringing over a tray of champagne.

Dent turned to the waiter, his eyes widening partially as he recognized the man.

"You're Alfred, right?", he asked the waiter while taking a glass of champagne from the tray the man held.

The older man answered smiling lightly, "That's right, sir.", his english accent drawing the words slowly.

"You've known Rachel her whole life?"

Alfred chucked softly before answering, "Well, not yet."

"Any psychotic ex-boyfriends I should be aware of?" Dent asked teasingly.

"Oh, you have no idea.", the butler answered both jokingly and serious.

Then the butler, Alfred, turned to Barbara. "Would you like one, Miss?"

"Oh yes. Thank you.", she said graciously while taking one of the flutes of champagne.

The butler walked away. Barbara drank her champagne slowly. When she finished she placed her empty glass in the tray of another waiter that was passing by. Barbara then began inspecting the people at the party when she saw a familiar blonde head.

"Hey Dent, you don't mind if I leave you for a minute, do you?", she asked quickly, but didn't wait for him to answer her.

She approached the blonde journalist, she didn't like Vale that much, but it was nice to see a familiar face among the unfamiliar people in the gathering.

"Vicki.", she said courteously greeting the blonde.

Vicki had a white silk evening dress, it complemented her golden skin wonderfully, and her beautiful blonde hair was curled.

"Barbara, I almost thought you weren't going to make it.", she told the redhead teasingly.

Barbara noticed a woman next to her. The woman was beautiful; she had short dark brown hair and pretty bangs that covered her forehead, and she had pretty greenish grey eyes. She had on a simple strapless black dress.

"Barbara this is Linda Page. Linda this is Barbara Gordon." Vicki introduced both women who shaked hands gently.

"Please to meet you.", the woman, Linda, said nicely.

Barbara didn't answer, but instead nodded. She heard that name before, Linda Page.

Her eyes widened in recognition. "Are you by any chance Michael Page's daughter?"

Michael Page was the CEO of Valmont Industries, the second biggest company in Gotham, after Wayne Enterprises.

"Yes…" Linda spoke before being interrupted by Vicki.

"Yes, but she's quite modest. She's actually working as a nurse in Gotham General."

Barbara smiled, it wasn't everyday that you meet a socialite turned nurse.

"Wow, that's wonderful."

Linda smiled modestly, "Well yes…I wanted to make myself useful."

Vicki laughed quietly, "Well that's Linda for you, always the humanitarian."

"You're the lieutenant's daughter, aren't you?", Linda asked curiously.

Barbara blushed as the attention was turned towards her. "Yes."

"Your father is a great man." Linda said truthfully.

Barbara couldn't agree more, her father is a great man, a great cop, and an even better father. Babs was lucky to have a dad like him and she knew it.

She smiled with inner pride for her father. "Yes, he is."

Suddenly their conversation was interrupted by a loud noise coming from outside of the penthouse. Everyone turned to the noise; it was helicopter that was being lowered into the helipad outside of the penthouse. Predictably as he was known for his grand entrances, Bruce Wayne came out of the helicopter and escorted three women inside.

_Well they don't call him Gotham's billionaire playboy for nothing._, Barbara though as he saw him enter the penthouse with three women in his arms.

As soon as he stepped into the penthouse, he let go of his multiple dates, they scattered away and dissipated into the crowd.

"Hello everyone…Where's Harvey? Harvey?", he said as he looked over the crowd searching for Dent.

He approached Harvey as he spotted him, "There he is…Harvey Dent, the man of the hour…And where's Rachel? Rachel Dawes, she's my oldest friend."

Rachel stepped out from the crowd and stood next to Dent, by the looks of it she didn't look very happy to see Wayne.

"You know when Rachel told me she was seeing Harvey, I said the man from those damn awful TV commercials: 'I believe in Harvey Dent'… Yeah great slogan, Harvey…", he said jokingly and a bit offensively as he spoke towards Dent giving him a mocking "thumbs up".

Harvey frowned; he didn't think his commercials were that bad.

Barbara frowned as well, Wayne was acting kind of like a jerk, and nothing like that one time she had met him.

But Wayne wasn't done with his speech as he kept talking.

"But then I saw how happy he made Rachel. And I started listening to what Harvey has to say…and I have to say something…I believe in Harvey Dent. I believe that he can fight against the injustice and corruption in our city. I believe that under his watch, Gotham can be a better place, that Gotham can feel just a little safer. So let's make a toast."

He said taking one of the champagne glasses from a tray that a waiter was holding as he passed by.

"To Harvey Dent. Gotham's White Knight."

He finished his grand speech raising his glass, everyone else did the same before applauding.

Dent looked happy with the speech as he smiled at Wayne. Babs was also smiling, she knew that Wayne wasn't a jerk. He was perhaps obnoxious like Harvey, but he was a good guy. Babs looked over at Rachel and saw that her friend was not amused by Bruce's speech. She looked mad as she drank her champagne.

Wayne then started mingling with the crowd. He greeted people robotically, not really finding anyone interesting to speak with, that is until he spotted a familiar redhead.

He approached the woman slowly.

"Barbara."

She turned to see who was calling her. She blushed deeply as she noticed it was no other than Bruce Wayne himself, the man who had planned and coordinated this whole shindig.

"Bruce…hi…What a surprise."

She almost felt like slapping herself. Why would it be a surprise, this was his penthouse.

"Yeah, you know I didn't think I would see you again after that night."

Vicki and Linda listened to every word intently, well at least Vicki did. Both women's eyes widened in a comical manner as they mistaken his statement.

"Yeah, me too.", she said a little embarrassed. After all she didn't want Vicki and Linda to get the wrong impression.

"Bruce, this is Linda Page and Vicki Vale.", she said as she introduced him to the women next to her.

Bruce, who hadn't even noticed the other women, greeted them courteously.

"Your Michael Page's daughter, right?", he asked while he kissed her hand like a complete gentleman.

Linda blushed and nodded.

He then turned to Vicki and did the same. "And you work for the Gotham Gazette?"

Vicki nodded as well, she was speechless like Linda. Barbara smiled, it wasn't everyday that she got to see Vicki Vale at a lost for words.

"So you work for Dent, huh?", he asked turning back to Babs.

"Someone's done their research.", she said with a little more confidence.

Bruce smiled at her softly. "Yeah, well I couldn't resist."

"Nice place you've got here.", she said motioning to her surroundings.

"You should have seen my other house.", he says teasingly.

Barbara feels like he's hitting on her, and while one part is honest, it almost looks like he's forcing himself to do so.

"Yeah, I bet.", she told him and frowned a bit.

As he notices her become a bit uncomfortable and stiff towards him, he smiles politely before excusing himself.

When Barbara turns towards Linda and Vicki, both women are looking at her with amazement.

"Wow…Bruce Wayne. Did you guys…you know, do it?", Vicki asked with a big grin on her face.

"No, of course not. Not that I won't want to, but you know, we barely know each other. I only met him once, and he helped me actually. Some guy made me trip and fall on the sidewalk. He was driving around, and he saw me and decided to help. That's it.", she told both women.

"What a gentleman.", Linda said dreamily.

"Yeah…Not to mention he's gorgeous. Oh, Barbie. You're lucky, it looks like he has his eye on you.", Vicki spoke teasingly.

Barbara doubted Bruce had his eye on her. The way he was eyeing Rachel spoke otherwise. She saw him heading for the balcony, and then Rachel follow him. And Barbara knew by the way he was talking to her, looking at her longingly, that he was deeply in love with Rachel.

She frowned, her hopes shattered in front of her. But then again she was a fool to even think someone like Bruce Wayne would be interested in someone like her.

"I think I'm going to go mingle around. So see you later ladies.", she said as she excused herself.

"It was nice meeting you, Barbara.", Linda told her nicely.

"Yeah, see you later Babs." Vicki spoke as well as Barbara nodded and left.

She began to "mingle", she didn't really know anyone. A few people recognized her as Lt. Gordon's daughter, or that woman that works for Dent and Rachel.

Barbara didn't really mind being known for those things, she was proud that she worked for two people who were honest and hard-working, and she was very satisfied with being known as the daughter of the most honorable and sincere cop in Gotham.

She stepped towards the bar and took another flute of champagne. She drank the alcohol bitterly as she looked at the crowd of rich people that had gathered there tonight at Wayne's apartment. She thought about how easy these people had it. These people were lucky, they could sip there champagne and eat their caviar, and ignore the seedy, corrupt and crime filled streets of Gotham, because they had money, because they could afford to do so. But people like her, people who couldn't afford to do so. People who had to work hard to earn a living, they couldn't ignore them; they had to face those streets.

Just when Barbara was actually relaxing and letting the alcohol subside her mind. A loud banging noise, like the sound of a gun going off ringed loudly and echoed around the penthouse.

"Good evening, ladies and gentle men…we are tonight's entertainment."

Barbara had heard that voice before; that was the same voice from that video in the news report.

That was the Joker's voice.

Babs gently stood away from the bar and stood with the crowd that had gathered around the Joker and his henchmen, who were dressed like clowns.

He looked exactly the same as he had in the video. The scars, the eyes…But then Barbara noticed other things she hadn't while watching the video. His hair color was dark blond with long messy streaks of green, it looked course and greasy, and it slightly resembled seaweed. He was wearing a purple suit with a moss green vest underneath his jacket; his shoes were dirty and brown with colorful socks peeking from under his purple stripped pants.

Barbara shuddered; in person the man looked even more dangerous and chaotic than he had in the video.

He began inspecting the people slowly as if he were looking for some in particular. He grabbed a piece of shrimp from one of the tables that was filled with food and began eating it.

"I only have one question: Where is Harvey Dent?", he spoke with his mouth full.

No answered; he then walked up to a crowd of terrified women and points his shotgun at them before taking a woman's glass of champagne tossing most of the drink out in the process, but mimes drinking it anyway. Before dropping the glass on the floor letting it shatter before stalking towards the other guests.

"Do you know where Harvey is? Do you know who he is?"

When those particular guests didn't answer him, he stepped away from them and stalked towards some other guests. He approached a man grabbing his face.

"Do you know where I can find Harvey? I need to talk to him about something; just something, little, huh?", he asked the man while turning his head side to side.

"No.", he said when he recieved no answer from the man, he let the man go.

He advanced on an old man and began eating of his plate.

"You know, I'll settle for his loved ones.", he told the old man.

"We aren't intimidated by _thugs_.", the old man spoke back with bravery.

The Joker gave the man a peculiar look, "You know…", he stopped before banging on the table next to him three times.

"…you remind me of my father."

"I _hated_ my father!", he said as he grabbed the old man's head roughly and pulled a knife to his mouth.

Barbara then saw Rachel step forward and separate herself from the crowd. Barbara stepped closer towards her.

"Rachel, what are you doing? Come back here.", Babs said trying to pull her friend back into the crowd before the Joker noticed her.

"No, Barbara. Someone has to stop this guy. Let go of me.", Rachel told her worried friend.

Barbara let go of her reluctantly.

"Ok, stop." Rachel spoke up as she distanced herself from the crowd.

The Joker let go of the old man as he noticed Rachel for the first time.

He saunters towards her.

"Well, hello beautiful.", he says sloppily slicking his hair back.

"You must be Harvey's squeeze."

He began circling her like a predator would do to it's prey.

"And you are beautiful."

He stops circling her, and pretended to look concern as he spoke.

"Oh, you look nervous."

He held his knife up before speaking again. "Is it the scars?"

"You wanna know how I got 'em?", he asks her as he grabs her chin as she continuously tries to look away.

"Come 'ere, look at me. See, I had a wife, and she was beautiful…like you, who tells me that I worried too much, who tells me that I ought to smile more, who gambles and gets in deep with the sharks. And then one day they carve her face. And we got no money for surgeries. She can't take it. I just want to see her smile again. Hm? I just wanted to let her know that I don't _care_ about the scars. So…I stick a razor in my mouth and do this…to myself.", he said pointing towards his scars with his knife.

"And you know what? She can't stand the sight of me! She _leaves_! But now, I see the funny side_. _Now, I'm always _smiling_!", he finishes smiling widely.

Rachel knees him in the stomach before pushing him off her.

Instead of whining and complaining of pain, he laughs hysterically.

"A little fight in you. I like that.", he tells Rachel after composing himself and approaching her once again, knife in hand.

Out of nowhere the Batman appears standing next to Rachel.

"Then you're gonna love me.", he told the Joker before punching him.

The Joker falls to the floor and his clowns begin to attack the Batman in retaliation.

Barbara takes her chance and grabs Rachel pushing her towards the crowd and holding her protectively.

The Joker struggles to stand up, while Batman fights his henchmen. The Joker pushes one of the clowns in front of him, and while the Batman is distracted the clown grabbed him from behind. Taking advantage that Batman is defenseless the Joker kicks him, and then draws a small knife that was hidden in his shoe and kicked the vigilante again.

Barbara grimace as she heard Batman growl in pain before he reigned himself free from the clown's clutches, knocking the man down. When the Joker went for another kick, he pushed him down as well. While another henchman fought the Batman, the Joker picked a gun from the floor. He stalked towards Rachel while Babs kept her hands around her, not willing to let her friend go and leave her at the clutches of this madman.

He smiled wickedly as he noticed Babs. "I'm sorry Red, I'm gonna have to borrow your girlfriend."

He tried pulling Rachel away from the redhead, but Barbara refused to let her go. He got frustrated as he noticed the Batman approaching, so he pushed Barbara to the floor roughly, separating her from her friend. He grabs Rachel quickly pushing her towards him, and putting the gun to her head while moving in front of a window.

"Drop the gun." Batman says drawing closer to them.

"Sure. But first, why don't you take off your little mask and show us all who you really are.", the psychotic man replies before shooting the window behind him and hanging Rachel out of it.

"Let her go."

The Batman's voice was angry and forceful as he spoke.

"Very poor choice of words.", he says laughing maniacally as he lets her fall.

"Rachel!", Barbara screams at the top of her lungs in horror as she watched her friend fall.

Then the Batman threw himself after her.

"Well there goes the life of the party.", the Joker said while looking out of the broken window.

"Boss…Boss.", one of the clowns said trying to get his attention.

"What?", the Joker asked annoyed.

"The others tell me the cops are here. The lieutenant is out there, he wants us to surrender."

"Surrender? Surrender?", he starts laughing again.

"Well then we're gonna have to take a hostage, won't we?"

He starts looking at the crowd of terrified people before turning his eyes towards Barbara who was still lying on the cold floor. Her eyes widened as she noticed him looking straight at her.

"Pick her up.", he told two of his thugs.

The men picked her up and she struggled to escape from their clutches.

The Joker walked towards her, smiling wickedly. "I'm sorry for the inconvenience, but we're going to have to escort you out.", he licked his lips and laughed again as he noticed her frightened eyes.

The clowns followed their leader as he walked down the elevator. She didn't struggle any further, she wasn't stupid, she knew she would have to cooperate with this madman if she wanted to leave with her life.

They descended towards the lobby, before the elevator opened, the Joker pushed Barbara in front of him, he put his hand around her waist, and pushed the barrel of his gun to her temple. Barbara gulped as she felt the heat from the barrel.

The clowns gathered around his side forming a semi-circle of protection, their guns at hand ready to shoot anyone if necessary.

The police had gathered outside of the building's lobby.

"Lieutenant…Lieutenant!", he screamed loudly towards the officers and detectives that were crowded outside.

Barbara could see someone walking towards the glass door, his hands up. It wasn't until she took a good look at the man, that she recognized him. It was of course her father, Lt. James Gordon.

"Joker, I'm here….", he sounded tired and angry.

The Joker pushed himself and Barbara closer to the door. Lt. Gordon's eyes widened considerably as he recognized the hostage was actually his eldest daughter, Barbara.

"Joker, let the hostage go.", the Lieutenant spoke trying not let the panic he was feeling at seeing his daughter at the clutches of a psychotic murderer, even though his voice was much more urgent then when he had previously spoken.

"I'll let her go, after I get what I want…", he said smiling at the lieutenant.

"What do you want?" Babs' father spoke his voice rough, as he felt his throat tightening and his eyes watering.

"I want you and your cops to back off, while me and my chums here leave, then I'll let this pretty little thing go.", he told the lieutenant, while pushing his nose into Barbara's hair.

Barbara shuddered as the killer sniffed her hair.

"You killed Judge Surrillo and the Commissioner, I can't just let you walk out."

The Joker laughed at her father again before cocking his gun. Gordon raised his hands again as he gulped nervously.

"Please Joker, don't hurt her.", his voice started crack as he spoke, and his eyes began watering quickly.

The Joker gave her father a curious look, surprised by the lieutenant's strong reaction, but none the less pleased.

"Let me get what I want and I'll make sure she doesn't get hurt.", he said slowly as if he were speaking to a child.

"Okay…okay…", he told the Joker, giving Barbara a desperate look.

The lieutenant took out his walkie-talkie speaking in to it, "Stephens tell the others to back away from the building. We're gonna let them go. That's an order."

He shuts the walkie-talkie off before Stephens can argue against the instructions he's been giving.

Slowly the officers move back, most of them climbing into their cars, and others even cross the street.

"You can let her go now."

The Joker laughs, "I may look like a jester, but I'm not stupid like a jester. She's coming with us, until I feel safe…To make sure none of your cops follows us."

Gordon sighs before finally giving up to the madman's whims.

"Alright.", he said stepping away from the glass door.

The Joker motions for two of his men to move forward from protection. He clutches Barbara tighter and pushes her even further into him as they begin to move, the clowns move behind, their guns aimed at the patrol cars. Barbara notices a big school bus parked in the middle of the street and she immediately knows that's their ride. The two clowns in the front enter the bus and check it before motioning towards the Joker.

The Joker pushes Barbara into the bus and she nearly stumbles before catching herself and climbing up the bus. She sits in the second bench, the Joker enters and takes helm of the wheel turning, the clowns position themselves next to the windows, their guns drawn prepared for battle.

The school bus starts and rattles a bit before taking off, Babs looks out of the window and notices no one is following them. Her father kept his promise for her safety.

Surprisingly the bus goes at an amazingly fast speed. The Joker stops the bus abruptly.

He walks up to Barbara who recoils into a corner. He doesn't speak to her, just grins down at her, and grabs her by the elbow making her stand up from the bench. Before pushing her roughly out of the bus.

"Until we meet again, Red.", he says laughing.

Before taking his gun out and hitting her head with the handle knocking her out. Leaving here there lying in the middle of the sidewalk and driving off.

--


	9. A Death in the Family

**AN: For some reason I took a lot of time with this chapter. I don't know why but I found this chapter particularly challenging to write. I am proud that I managed to actually finish it, and overall I think I managed to write a good chapter. It isn't my best work, but it's still good. **

**PS. I want to thank Kaika-sama for giving me the newspaper idea, I hadn't really thought about that, so thanks because it helped me a lot. I still hadn't figured out how to make the Joker find out about Babs being Gordon's daughter. So thank you because for giving me that wonderful idea. **

* * *

**Chapter Nine  
A Death in the Family**

The last thing she remembered as she woke up was a blinding pain in her scalp before blacking out completely.

The first thing she saw when she opened her eyes was a bright white light.

"Hey, she's waking up.", she heard a voice say, even though she couldn't quite tell who it was.

Her senses were slowly adjusting as she felt like she was waking up from a coma.

She noticed she was lying in a bed; the sheets covering her were impeccably white and clean. The pillow was soft, but the bed felt a little stiff. She sat up lightly and she felt a hand on her shoulder push her down lightly. When she tried to move her right arm, she winced and noticed she had a needle stuck in her vein that connected her to the I.V. next to her bed.

"Be careful, Junior.", she recognized the voice now; it was her father's voice. He was standing behind her mother, who was sitting on a chair next to the bed. Behind him she could see Rachel and Harvey looking at her with a mix of worry and relief.

"Mom…Dad…", she stopped as she felt an incoming headache.

The events prior to her hospital visit flashed quickly in her mind.

"_Look at all these people. They came here for you."_

"_A little liquid courage, sir?"_

"_Barbara this is Linda Page. Linda this is Barbara Gordon."_

"_To Harvey Dent. Gotham's White Knight."_

"_Yeah, you know I didn't think I would see you again after that night."_

"_Good evening, ladies and gentle men…we are tonight's entertainment."_

"_I only have one question: Where is Harvey Dent?"_

"_Well, hello beautiful."_

"_I'm sorry Red, I'm gonna have to borrow your girlfriend."_

"_Rachel!"_

"_Well then we're gonna have to take a hostage, won't we?"_

"_Joker, let the hostage go."_

"_I'll let her go, after I get what I want…"_

"_Please Joker, don't hurt her."_

"_Until we meet again, Red."_

She began hyperventilating, "Oh God. The Joker…Harvey… dad…Rachel!"

She screamed and struggled to get up from the bed. Her father and Harvey restrained her.

"Barbara I'm here. I'm okay.", Rachel said as she put a comforting hand in her friend's arm.

Barbara relaxed as she saw Rachel standing there; she had almost forgotten the brunette was there.

"The Joker he took me, and then…he let me go.", she said, in a skeptical manner, her breath slowly regulating as she began to calm down gradually.

"Yes, he kept his word.", her father spoke from her side.

"_I'm a man of my word."_, she remembered what the Joker had said in his video. She shook her head as she tried to get the sound of the man voice out of her head.

Her father gave her a comforting look before squeezing her shoulder gently.

"For how long have I been unconscious?", she asked her father.

"A day in a half."

She thought it wasn't that bad, it was better than a week. And she assumed she hadn't missed much. Or at least she thought.

"I want to go home."

"Sweetheart, you have to stay for a little while longer for observation." Her mother spoke softly.

"No, I feel fine. I don't want to be here. Please dad.", she pleaded giving her father a desperate look.

Gordon stayed quiet for awhile before answering his daughter.

"I'll talk to the doctor, okay?"

She nodded; she just didn't want to be there any longer than necessary. Her father, her mother and Dent left the room. Rachel stayed and sat where her mother had been sitting seconds earlier.

"Barbara, I'm going to tell you something, but you have to promise me you'll stay calm."

Her friend spoke looking straight at her. Barbara stared confused, but nodded quickly none the less.

Rachel took something from the inside of her purse . It looked like a paper, to be more specific a newspaper.

She gave Barbara the newspaper article she had taken from yesterday's paper.

Barbara's eyes widened as she read the article.

**Mayhem at Harvey Dent's fundraiser**

**By Vicki Vale**

As she was reading she recognized her own name there in fine print.

"She put you're name out there for him to see. He knows who you are, that you're the Lieutenant's daughter. He could come after you." Her friend alleged.

"You don't know that. What makes you think he'll come after me, he could go after you as well. After all he's after Harvey, and you're his girlfriend."

Rachel didn't say anything else, after all she knew the redhead spoke the truth, but that wouldn't make her stop worrying over Barbara's safety.

She took the article back putting it securely in her purse once again.

Her father entered the room again, this time a nurse accompanied him. Barbara didn't recognize the nurse immediately. Once she took a closer look, she could see it was Linda Page, the woman that Vicki had introduced her to at the fundraiser. She had almost forgotten all about her. Linda looked very different; her short hair was being held up by a clip, she was wearing dark blue scrubs, and white flats.

"Linda."

Linda smiled sweetly, "Hi Barbara."

Linda approached her, moving to the right side of her bed, taking the needle that connected her to the I.V. out of Babs' hand slowly.

"Good news, Dr. Strong said that you were fine." Her father spoke happily.

"I don't want you to think we're kicking you out, but kind of need every bed available."

Linda spoke this time, her voice was bright and filled with kindness. She smiled warmly at Babs again before helping her sit up the bed.

Barbara felt all her muscles tightened as she sat up.

"I'm not leaving with just a hospital gown, am I?", she asked almost in horror as she noticed the only thing she was wearing apart from her underwear was a flimsy paper gown.

"Oh, of course not. You're clothes are right here." Linda said while taking a bundle of clothes out of a small bag next to Babs' hospital bed.

"You're mother brought it for you." Her father informed her.

Barbara reminded herself mentally to thank her mother once she saw her again. Linda helped her to the bathroom where she changed into the clothes her mother had brought her; a white t-shirt, some blue jeans and sandals.

After that Barbara left with her mother and father who drove her home. Even though Babs wanted badly to go to her office her father spoke against it saying she needed rest even though Barbara had been in a coma-like sleep for more than a day.

--

When Barbara got home, she waited for her father to leave before interrogating her mother.

Barbara Sr. told her daughter all about what had transpired in Gotham, from Commissioner Loeb and Judge Surrillo's murders, which Babs remembered her father mentioning while speaking to the Joker.

According to her mother the psychotic clown had also announced he would assassinate Mayor Garcia during Commissioner Loeb's memorial ceremony.

The ceremony is today and it would take place in downtown Gotham. Despite Barbara Senior's vehement protest, her eldest daughter was determined to make it to the ceremony. It wasn't because she wanted to pay respects to Loeb; the man had never really done anything for this city. There was a rumor going around that during Carmine Falcone's reign in Gotham, Loeb had been one of the many public figures in his paycheck.

The real reason Barbara wanted to go to the ceremony was because she had a bad feeling about it; call it a woman's intuition if you will, but she had this feeling that something bad was going to happen.

She put on a dark blue fleece sweater over her thin t-shirt and a black overcoat over that before she headed out. She took a cab all the way towards Gotham Central.

She had to walk through crowds of people the rest of the way. The streets were crowded with officers, and the sidewalks were crowded with civilians. She got as close as she could to the podium.

The Mayor was speaking saying something about how honest and hard-working Loeb had been.

_What a load of bull._, she thought rolling her eyes.

She looked up and saw that the roofs had been staked out by snipers. She looked up at the buildings trying to see from which window the Joker would strike.

_What if he isn't in any of the buildings? _A voice in her head spoke doubtfully.

Now that she thought about it, it made sense in a strange way. She remembered what the Joker had told her father when he was holding her hostage.

_I may look like a jester, but I'm not stupid like a jester…_

No, he wouldn't strike out his plans in one of the buildings through a window. That was too predictable for the Joker. No, he'd so something more crafty, more spontaneous.

Barbara began looking around, she winced when shots started going off, only to realize it was the officers' guns.

_It's okay Babs, that's part of the ceremony. _, she told herself internally.

She took a deep breath, before looking around again to see if she could catch anyone suspicious or anything that looked out of place, but she didn't.

She winced as they fired again, but the shots sounded louder than before like they were coming from above as well.

_What would the Joker do? _

It would be as previously stated, unpredictable and bold. Something dramatic…

_Wait a minute…the officers!_, she deciphered quickly looking suspiciously at the officers.

She tried to strain her vision to look at the ones who were shooting carefully, to see if she could find anyone who looked out of place. But she couldn't see that far, with the crowd in front of her and the distance.

Suddenly shots were fired again, but this time it was different. People started panicking around her, screaming and running. When she looked up at the podium, she saw that the Mayor was being escorted by his bodyguards; Harvey and Rachel were also being ushered away by a couple of officers.

As she got closer to the podium she was greeted with a horrifying sight; her father slumped at the floor of the podium, his glasses were askew, and he looked breathless…lifeless. Detective Stephens leaned down to check his pulse and cursed loudly.

"Dad!" Barbara screamed loudly, but her father did not respond.

Det. Stephens acknowledged her presence and gave her a sad sympathetic look.

She tried getting closer to the podium, but she felt herself being restrained. Strong arms enveloped around Barbara's waist.

"Let me go."

"I'm sorry Ms. Gordon, but for your safety you must come with us.", it was a man's voice.

She struggled against the officer's arms, but failed and went limp finally giving up after realizing she wasn't going anywhere. Tears streaked down her face as she looked at her father's motionless figure. She felt helpless, useless; even though she had been there, she didn't do anything, she couldn't do anything to stop her father from being murdered by the Joker and his pack of clowns.

The officer pulled her away from the dreadful scene before her and pulled her into a patrol car, inside that same car her friend Rachel Dawes also sat as she waited to be lead to safety.

"Barbara, what's wrong?" Rachel asked confused clearly she hadn't seen Lt. Gordon get shot.

Barbara didn't answer her; she just sat there motionless, crying silently. Rachel got closer to her friend as the patrol car took off. She put her arm around Babs' shoulders as she tried to coax her friend into telling her friend what was wrong with her.

Finally Barbara gave up, she couldn't hold it any longer. She just broke down and began sobbing loudly, her breath coming in short ragged gasps.

"He…My father he's…", she tried to say it. But the words didn't want to come out. They couldn't come out…If they came out, then it was true, he really was gone.

"What Babs? What happened to the Lieutenant?"

"He's…He's dead! Rachel, my father's dead!", she shouted and kept sobbing.

Rachel's eyes widened.

_Lt. Gordon is dead._ Rachel thought sadly as she held her grieving friend.

Barbara's head fell on Rachel's lap. The brunette caressed her friend's hair as she tried to comfort her. She knew that nothing she did would make the redhead feel better, even she felt depressed as she thought of Gordon and how he gave his life for Garcia. Even though the man probably didn't deserve the sacrifice.

"It will be alright, Babs.", she whispered softly.

--

When Rachel and Barbara arrived at Mayor Crimes Unit, the assistant DA went to work fast. She had no time to grieve, she had work to do. She tried to help the officers and detectives around her as much as she could.

Barbara sat in Ramirez desk next to Rachel; she just kept her head bowed down. The tears stopped after awhile, but that didn't make her feel any better. She actually felt worse than before. She felt empty, like a shell; an empty vacant shell…

As Rachel was sorting out paper work, she heard her phone ring loudly. Checking the called ID quickly, thankfully it was her boyfriend Harvey who was calling her.

She answered quickly, "Harvey…"

"Rachel, where are you?", he interrupted, he sounded rushed.

"I'm at Mayor Crimes Unit, helping as much as I can. This place is a mess."

"Rachel, have you by any chance seen Barbara?"

Rachel glanced at Babs, who was sitting next to her staring vacantly at the desk in front of her.

"She's here with me."

"Look…you have to get out of there. Take Barbara with you."

Rachel was confused; she and Babs were safe here.

"Harvey, what's wrong?"

"The Joker named Barbara as his next target. He's going to kill her. Do you understand!", he said piercingly into the phone.

"Harvey, she's safe here. Gordon vouched for these men."

"Yeah and he's dead…Gordon's gone, Rach. You have to get out of there right now…God is there anyone in this city we can trust."

Rachel sighed into the cell phone.

_Bruce_

"Bruce… We can trust Bruce."

"Rachel, I know he's your friend, but…"

Rachel interrupted her boyfriend, "No, Harvey. Bruce's penthouse is now the safest place in Gotham."

"Then go there, and stay there. Tomorrow I'm going to hold a press conference, and this is all going to end. I promise.", he told her softly before hanging up.

She fumbled with her purse as she put her cell phone in it and placed the strap on her shoulder. She leaned down towards Barbara shaking her friend slowly.

Barbara looked up at her friend, and noticed she had an anxious worried look on her face.

"Is something wrong?", she asked quietly, almost whispering.

"We have to go." Rachel didn't want to give too much away, there was only so much one person could take in one day.

Barbara was still mourning her father, and to hear that she was also the Joker's next target practice might actually drive her to the breaking point.

She would tell Barbara about the threat, but not right now. Not in front of all these people.

Barbara stood up slowly and followed Rachel outside.

Rachel managed to sneak the both of them out the back, and everyone was so busy that they didn't notice the two women slip out.

They took a taxi cab to Wayne's penthouse.

Rachel pushed the penthouse button in the elevator hurriedly. The elevator went up swiftly. Barbara started feeling drowsy, her eyes drooping. She stumbled a bit and laid her back against the elevator wall.

"Babs, are you okay? Barbara?"

Barbara could barely hear her friend's voice. She sounded like she was far away. The elevator door opened, Bruce Wayne was standing there like he had been expecting them to show up. And Babs wondered if Rachel had managed to call him, she hadn't really been paying attention during the ride there.

Rachel walked out and Babs tried to follow, but her legs seemed to give up underneath her. She stumbled as she tried to step out of the elevator.

"Barbara!" Rachel shouted as she watched helplessly as her friend began to fall.

Bruce's incredible reflexes kicked in, as he caught Barbara with an unnatural speed. He hoisted her up in his arms before carrying her bridal style towards his bedroom where he laid her in his large bed.

Rachel followed him into the bedroom as she sat down next to Babs in the bed. She ran her hands through her friend's hair as she had done in the patrol car during their drive to MCU headquarters.

"Don't worry, Babs. Things will get better, I promise.", she whispered into her friend's ear softly before kissing her forehead gently and walking out of the room.

--


	10. The Press Conference

**AN : **I think you guys should know that Rachel and Babs stay at Bruce's penthouse for the night...Barbara basically just stays unconscious for awhile before waking up at a very convenient time.

**PS**. Terra Earth; that was intentionally my idea, that the Joker kidnaps Barbara in plain sight. The officer who restrains her was supposed to be him, but then I thought that was too predictable, and if the Joker saw Gordon get shot which I assumed he did then Babs would be useless to him, so kidnapping her would be pointless. So I decided otherwise.

* * *

**Chapter Ten**

**The Press Conference**

When Barbara woke up the first thing she noticed was that she was definitely not back home. She was lying in a big soft bed, much softer and bigger than her own bed. The room was enormous and lavish, with big windows and state of the art technology. As she stood up from the bed she inspected the room further and tried to remember the events prior to her blacking out.

Her father's death, she gulped as her eyes began to water quickly…

What else had happened?

Rachel…She had been with Rachel and they had been at Mayor Crimes, then Rachel received a call from Harvey. And they left MCU and headed for Bruce Wayne's penthouse…

_Bruce Wayne's penthouse, of course that's where I'm at. This must be his room._, she thought as she looked around the room.

She decided to let herself out of the bedroom. She walked into what she assumed was the dining room. An old man was standing near the big rectangular table in the middle of the room. The man looked familiar to Babs; like she had seen him before…Then she remembered she had seen the man at the fundraiser that Bruce held for Harvey in this same penthouse.

He was Bruce's trusty butler, Alfred…

She approached Alfred silently. "Excuse me, Alfred, is it?", she asked the English man gently.

Alfred who had yet to notice the young public defender standing there, looked up almost shocked to see her up and about.

"Miss Gordon…Are you alright?", he hesitated as he directed himself towards the young woman.

She nodded and smiled sweetly, grateful for his genuine concern even though he barely knew her.

"Um… I was wondering if Rachel is still here."

"Oh yes; she's in the living room."

Barbara hummed pleased that her friend hadn't left her alone.

"Where would that be?", she asked puzzled, how was she suppose to know where the living room was. Not only was the place unknown to her, but the penthouse was huge. There was no way she could find it on her own.

Alfred chuckled quietly shaking his head before conducting her to the living room, where her friend Rachel was standing.

Rachel stood stiff, her arms crossed as she stared intently at the plasma screen in front of her.

"Rachel?" Babs spoke as she approached the assistant DA.

Rachel looked at her, her eyes widening partially. "Babs, you're awake."

"So it would seem.", she said slowly.

"What are you watching?", she asked curiously while looking at the TV screen in front of them.

Harvey Dent, friend, and Gotham City District Attorney was standing in front of a podium as he was directing himself to a crowd of reporters.

"Harvey's holding a press conference down at County." Rachel simply told her before looking back at the screen, her face once again becoming stern and serious.

Barbara looked back at the screen as well and began paying attention to what Dent was saying.

"…_the Batman will one day have to answer us for the laws he has broken, but to us…Not to this madman." Harvey spoke, staying true to his faith in the Batman._

"_No more dead cops!" Some dumb cop spoke up, and everyone else followed suit, applauding like monkeys in a zoo. _

Barbara shook her head, were these people so stupid to think that once Batman turned himself in, the Joker would stop killing people. If anything, things would get worse…

_Dent looked defeated, no one was listening to reason, and instead they were giving in to the whims of a terrorist._

"_So be it…Take the Batman into custody.", he stated before stepping away from the podium._

_The reporters and cops started murmuring to themselves quietly…_

Take the Batman into custody, which could only mean one thing, the Batman was there at the press conference. Barbara's eyes widened as she realized that the identity of Batman was about to be revealed before her very eyes.

"_I am the Batman." Dent confessed much to everyone's surprise. _

_Everyone looked shocked…Harvey Dent, DA…was the vigilante known as the Batman? _

_Harvey extended his wrists to be cuffed before being taken into custody by a police officer who escorted him out of the podium._

Barbara's eyes widened even further at the fake revelation…

_Harvey isn't Batman. I was there with him when he met him…Why is he lying?_, she thought confused.

The only reason why Harvey was lying was because he wanted to protect the Batman; because Dent was one of the few people who believe that Batman was doing something good for Gotham.

Barbara smiled faintly as she realized what her friend was doing, what he was sacrificing to keep the Caped Crusader safe.

Barbara glanced at Rachel to see how she was taking the news.

Rachel looked shocked, her shock quickly turned to anger as she walked out of the living room without even saying goodbye, grabbing her purse and her coat before going into the dining room. Babs just stood there for a few minutes before following the direction her friend had taken.

Alfred was standing there alone, holding an envelope. He was frowning slightly. He looked at it one last time before putting it in his inner jacket pocket.

Barbara approached him, this time she didn't try to be stealth and quiet, and he acknowledged her presence quickly, a gentle smile replacing the frown.

"Good evening, Miss Gordon. Would you like me to get you something?"

Barbara returned the smile before shaking her head.

"No it's alright, Alfred. I'm good. I take it Rachel left."

Alfred frowned once again and stared at her sadly. "Yes, I'm afraid so…She's gone to see Mr. Dent. She was very unhappy with his revelation."

_I could tell_, she thought as she remembered had stormed out of the room in anger.

"Can I ask you something, Alfred?"

Alfred gave her a bewildered look before nodding, "Of course."

"Do you really think Harvey Dent is Batman?"

Alfred gave her a meaningful look, before grinning.

"No, Miss. He doesn't seem like the kind of guy who jumps off roof tops."

Barbara looked up at the butler with a befuddled expression before speaking once again.

"Alright, I'm going to head out."

Alfred didn't look too happy about her decision to leave.

"But Miss, you're in danger. The Joker…"

Barbara interrupted the butler as she began speaking, "Look Alfred, I appreciate you're concern, but I don't really think the Joker cares too much about me right now."

Of course not, not when he had bigger fish to fry like Harvey.

"Well alright then. Be careful."

He gave her one last smile before leaving the room. Barbara let herself out of the penthouse. As much as she worried about her life, she knew she was no longer useful to the Joker, and now that Harvey had claimed to be the Batman, Babs was sure the Joker would try to attack the DA.

--

"I can't believe you're doing this." That was the first thing Barbara said to Harvey when she saw him sitting in his cell.

Despite leaving after Rachel, she actually arrived at the County Jail House before her.

Babs stood outside of Harvey's cell looking at him.

Harvey stood up, he looked shocked to see her there, but otherwise glad as he smiled at his friend.

"Barbara...I'm sorry.", he whispered softly giving her a sympathetic look.

Barbara looked away; she knew he was referring to her father's untimely death. She didn't want to talk about that. It was still a sensitive subject for her. She could only imagine what the rest of her family was going through. Babs was sure Stephens or Ramirez had already told her mother about the news.

Barbara felt horrible, she had yet to visit her mom and her young siblings. And she knew they needed her now more than ever.

"You don't have to be sorry. You had nothing to do with it."

Harvey approached her; he stopped when he was directly in front of her. Taking her hand in his through the bars.

"It's going to be okay, Babs."

She looked up at him again, and felt herself blush as his piercing blue eyes met her own green ones. His fingers intertwined with hers, and she felt her heart flutter. She had denied it for a long time, but she did have feelings for Harvey, feelings that were far beyond friendship.

She took her hand away from his; she couldn't let herself have these feelings. He was her best friend's boyfriend, and deep down Babs knew that like Bruce, Harvey could only have feelings for one woman and that was Rachel.

"Thanks, Harv. You're a good friend."

He frowned as she moved away from him.

Just then Rachel stormed in, her stride quick and furious.

"What are you thinking?!", she yelled at Harvey before noticing Barbara standing right outside of Harvey's cell.

"Babs, what are you doing here?"

"I came to see Harvey."

Rachel simply nodded before turning back to Dent. She motioned towards one of the officers, who opened the cell. Rachel stepped inside quickly as she tried to talk sense into Harvey. But he wouldn't listen; he was determined to go through with his plan.

And his plan was to pretend to be the Batman, so the Joker would make his move, and then the real Batman would catch the sociopath.

Babs thought it sounded like a good plan. Rachel though it was stupid and reckless, which was exactly why Dent and Barbara thought it was a good idea. To catch the Joker they would have to do something dangerous and careless. That was the only way they could catch the psychotic clown off guard.

When it came time to escort Harvey out of the premises, Barbara and Rachel followed him.

"You don't know if this plan of yours could work. Even he doesn't know if he can catch the Joker." Rachel said with certainty and Babs gave her friend a strange look.

How did Rachel know so much about Batman? She spoke like she knew who the Batman really was, and Barbara wondered faintly if her best friend knew the identity of the masked vigilante.

They passed a couple of cops, some clapped at the sight of Dent and others just shook their heads in disapproval. Never the less Babs smiled; it was good to know that not everyone in the police department hated Batman.

They stopped by the SWAT car that would be leading Harvey to a safer location. Rachel was still trying to convince her boyfriend to desist from his foolish, if not brilliant plan to catch the Joker.

"Please Harvey, don't do this. Let the police take care of it, you could get hurt…"

Harvey interrupted Rachel as he leaned down and kissed her passionately. Barbara felt strange witnessing such a private moment, she felt like a voyeur. She also felt envy creep up on her; secretly she wished Harvey had kissed her like that.

Harvey broke the kiss as he went into the truck.

"Please Harvey, don't do this." Rachel said breathless.

"Heads, I go through with it.", he said grinning down at both women.

"You can't leave some thing like this up to chance, this is your life we're talking about."

"I'm not.", he told her before throwing her his "lucky" coin.

He sat in the truck and gave them one last smile before the door closed and the truck speeded off towards its destination.

Rachel turned the coin around only to see it was a two headed coin. She smiled slightly before whispering to herself, "You make your own luck."

Barbara smiled to herself as she saw the coin, and then stared off at the direction the truck had taken. She knew Harvey would be alright. She knew that the Batman would let nothing bad happen to him.

--


	11. Alive

AN : Good question Minerva's Cat. Okay so here' s the deal, even though Babs never returned to Gotham for eight years, she did keep in contact with her family, you know phone calls, and the ocassional visits from mom and dad. Even though she wasn't there for Sarah's birth, she did talk to the kid and actually see her a couple of times. I mean I thought it would be kind of obvious, so I decided not to explain it.

* * *

**Chapter Eleven**

**Alive**

Barbara left County; she didn't like being there at all. She decided to go to MCU, and wait anxiously for news of Dent. Rachel decided come with her of course, she was also very worried for Harvey, after all she was his girlfriend, she had every right to be worried.

Det. Stephens escorted both women to MCU headquarters. As soon as they arrived Rachel headed up to the offices to make some important calls, while Babs waited downstairs by the cells. She actually preferred being down there than upstairs in the offices.

Stephens kept Barbara company, and Babs was grateful for the man's company; she didn't want to be alone right now.

Minutes passed, then hours before there was a loud banging sound. A door opened and two officers stepped in, they were holding someone…Someone that looked very familiar…

Someone wearing a purple suit.

Babs' eyes widened as she realize that the plan had worked, they had actually caught the Joker. The other officers were also shocked, but soon their shock turned to happiness as they gave each other handshakes and friendly pats on the back.

Some other cops came behind the Joker, two members of the SWAT team and…

_No it can't be._ Barbara though as she shook her head gently and looked back at the man.

Either she was imagining things, or her father was actually standing there in front of her.

The lieutenant didn't notice his eldest daughter's presence as he uncuffed the Joker.

"Take your jacket off.", he told the man in the purple suit.

"Oh Gordie, I'm flattered, but I'm not that kind of girl.", the madman replied grinning wickedly at Gordon.

Gordon ignored the degenerate comments, "Take it off before I take it off for you.", he said to the Joker, his patience starting to disappear.

The Joker frowned taking the coat of slowly before giving it to the Lieutenant.

Lt. Gordon took the coat and threw it at table nearby. He dragged the Joker with him, pushing him roughly into the cell. The Joker stumbled slightly before regaining his balance and smiling at Gordon.

Stephens approached Gordon giving him a friendly hug, "Glad to have you back, sir."

Lt. Gordon smiled and looked at the other officers, who were shocked, but pleased to see that their boss was still alive.

"Glad to be back."

As he looked around he saw a familiar redhead standing by the corner of the room, staring at him as if he were an illusion.

She walked up to him; her steps were gentle and slow, like she was hesitating.

"You're suppose to be dead.", she whispered as she looked him up and down. Trying to figure out if he was actually real and not just a figment of her imagination.

"Sorry to disappoint.", he murmured as he looked at his daughter, tears glistening in his eyes.

He could only think of the pain he had cause her, and the rest of his family. And he wondered how his wife had taken the news, or Sarah, or more importantly Jimmy.

Jimmy who looked up to his father, who's whole life revolved around his dad. He could only imagine how his son had taken the tragic news.

He turned his attention back to his oldest daughter, who was still looking at him strangely, like she couldn't believe he was real. He moved forward and tried to pull her into a hug, but she moved back.

He gave her a sad look. "I'm sorry I had to lie, but you have to know that it was the only way we could have caught him. Please try to understand where I was coming from."

She stared at him not saying a word for a couple of seconds, her mouth still partially open in shock.

Now she understood, he wasn't a figment of her imagination, he was real.

Her father, Lt. James Gordon, had faked his death in order to catch the psychopath known only as the Joker.

At first Babs felt anger. She felt angry that her father had lied to his own family; lied about something as delicate as death. But then she felt relief and happiness because her father was alive, he was standing in front of her right now, breathing.

She threw herself at him, her arms holding his shoulders tightly as she pulled him into a strong embrace.

He hugged her back, and smothered her hair gently.

"Its okay, Junior. Dad's here."

Babs broke the embrace after a couple of seconds, as she looked adoringly at her father. Despite everything he had caught the Joker.

"You did it dad, you caught him."

He smiled back at her before looking at the cage where the Joker was being held. The man in the green vest looked incredibly bored as he sat down in the cell.

Officers around him began to make a ruckus outside of the cell. They knocked batons against the large metal bars, shouting and hollering like crazy men.

Barbara knew they were excited, but this was too much.

Apparently she wasn't the only one who thought the officers were over-reacting.

"Stop it. I don't want anything that his mob lawyer can use against us.", he yelled at the rowdy officers who stopped after they heard the command from their boss.

Just then the Mayor and his convoy arrived.

"Gordon, good to have you back." Garcia said before shaking the lieutenant's hand sharply.

"So…What do we got?", he asked Gordon regarding the Joker.

The Lieutenant sighed before answering the Mayor.

"Nothing. No matches on prints, DNA, dental. Clothing is … custom, no labels. Nothing in his pockets, but knives and lint. No name. No other alias.", he finished sounding exhausted.

"Go home, Gordon. The clown will keep 'til morning. Go get some rest. You're gonna need it. Tomorrow you take the _big_ job. You don't have any say in the matter, _Commissioner_ Gordon."

Gordon looked shocked; he hadn't expected to be promoted so quickly. Three years ago he had been a Sergeant, then he became a Lieutenant after the whole toxin debacle, and now he was actually the Commissioner, it all seemed so fast.

Barbara smiled, she knew her father deserved the promotion. She knew he would be a good Commissioner.

The mayor and the present police officers began clapping loudly and cheering for the newly assigned Commissioner.

They stopped when they noticed they weren't the only ones applauding. The Joker began to clap mockingly, smirking as he looked at Gordon.

He looked at Barbara and then back at the new Commissioner as his smirk became wider.

Barbara shivered lightly, whatever that look had implied; she knew that it wasn't a good thing.

--


	12. Conversations with a sociopath

**AN **: Okay, I had fun writing this chapter. I just really love the Joker, and any chapter where I get to write him or write about him is a lot of fun. Anyway just in case you guys don't know, Kean is the maiden name of Gordon's first wife, Barbara. That's just in case you guys didn't know. Anyway on with the story...

* * *

**Chapter Twelve**

**Conversations with a sociopath**

As Barbara's father went up to his office to pick up a few of his things, she waited patiently downstairs. She wondered briefly if Rachel would see her dad, she could only imagine her friend's reaction when she saw the former Lieutenant alive. Knowing Rachel she would probably be upset, and lecture the new Commissioner about not lying to friends and making them worry, or something like that.

Barbara smiled briefly as she thought of her friend.

Her moment of happiness was interrupted.

"Hey Red."

She tried to ignore the Joker, even though he was speaking directly at her.

"Leave the lady alone. Can't you see she doesn't want to talk to scum like you." Stephens spoke for Babs, looking at the Joker with a look of pure loathe.

"That's okay detective. He's not bothering me.", she said not really looking at Stephens; her eyes were focused on the man with the red grin.

He smiled widely at her, almost as if he considered what she had said a compliment.

Stephens looked slightly taken a back, but desisted moving to a corner of the room to speak with another detective.

"What do you want?", she asked the madman in a tired tone.

"Nothing…A little company maybe." His tone was soft, and it surprise Babs.

"You have company.", she said regarding the other men in the cell with him, his accomplices, who also happened to be former patients at Arkham Asylum.

He glanced at the men making a grimace of disgust before looking back at Barbara.

"Oh, these guys. Well they are hardly any company."

"Come closer.", he said motioning with his hand.

Barbara took cautionary steps towards him. He stood as well until he was only inches away from the bars that restrained him. Babs got close, but not too close, remembering this man was extremely dangerous.

"You know you remind me of someone…", he said taking a good look at her face.

"And who would that be?", she asked the madman slightly curious.

"There was this girl I knew. She had red hair like yours, but lighter. She was a real knock-out, but she wasn't all there, if you know what I mean.", he told her motioning to his head.

"She was crazy, like you."

The Joker laughed at her statement before nodding fervently.

"Anyway sweet girl, but her dear old daddy, he was a mean bastard. He use to beat her up and do other things.", he finished wiggling his eyebrows wildly.

"So one day, she takes a kitchen knife and she stabs him in the back. She burns the body and goes on with her life. She dreams of becoming a botanist, so she goes to college…There she meets this professor, and he's generous and kind to her. They begin having an affair, but the dear old professor, not only is he a pervert, he's a little bit crazy too. He injects her with all these toxins and poisons, and she almost dies. The professor freaks, he thinks she's dead, so he abandons her in an alley…"

He stops just when Barbara's interest is peeked; she moves closer to the cage, hoping he'll continue his story. And he does.

"One day a man is walking by, and he sees this poor beautiful girl lying there. She's not dead, even though she may look it. So he rescues her and takes her to his humble abode. She tells him her life story and he tells her his…well parts. But this man he's not as kind as you may think, see to him she's just a porcelain doll he can break. So he does...For ten days he holds her there in his shitty apartment breaking her will slowly. But the girl does something unexpected, on the eleventh day she escapes, and leaves the man who rescued her. Leaves without even saying goodbye...The man is devastated, he searches for his lost doll, but he never finds her…Several weeks later he learns she admitted herself into an asylum…"

He stops again and turns away from Barbara.

"You are the man. You were the man who found her by the alley, weren't you?", she asks quietly.

He turns to her smiling and nods slowly.

"You're a monster."

He steps directly in front of Babs, his hands clutching the metal bars.

"No, Miss Gordon, I am not a monster. I'm just a man who's had too many bad days. You see all it takes is one bad day to reduce the sanest man alive to lunacy. That's how far the world is from where I am. Just one bad day. And I'm going to prove that to you.", he told the speechless redhead before pushing his hand through the thick bars and reaching for her. He took a strand of her hair and brought it to his face, sniffing it.

"Has any one told you, you're hair smells like vanilla."

She stood there not knowing what to do, or say.

"Get away from her."

A voice said and the Joker let go of her hair and stepped away from the metal bars sitting back down. Barbara regained her senses giving the green haired man a suspicious glare before moving away from the cage.

The voice belonged to her father who was looking at the Joker cautiously. He approached Barbara putting his arm around her shoulders and guiding her away from the madman.

Before leaving with his daughter, he stopped and walked up to Stephens and the other detective he was speaking to.

"You were suppose to be watching her…" Gordon spoke heatedly to Stephens, who just stood there looking guilty and apologetic towards his superior.

"Dad, it's okay. I was the one who got close to the Joker. It's not his fault. Please let just go." Barbara interrupted her father, she was too tired for this; she just wanted to go home and lie in her bed and fall into a dreamless sleep.

She also defended Det. Stephens because it really had been her fault. She was the one who got close to the Joker.

The Commissioner looked back at his daughter, and decided to give it a rest.

He guided the young woman to his car. He drove them back home anxious and scared to see the rest of his family, he could only imagine how Barbara Sr. was going to react when she saw him.

--

Barbara Jr. stood in front of the door knocking slowly. Her mother answered a few seconds later.

"Babs we were so worried. Where have you…", she stopped when Junior stepped aside.

To say the least Barbara Kean Gordon was more than a little shocked when she saw her "deceased" husband standing there.

"Barbara…" He was interrupted when his wife slapped him.

Babs flinched slightly as she saw her father get hit.

Gordon looked back at his wife, hoping she could forgive him. She started crying before putting her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. He returned her warm embrace as he hugged her back and kissed her gently.

Babs smiled as she saw her parents embrace.

They walked inside and Barbara Kean hugged her grown daughter tightly as well.

"I was worried about you. I thought that madman had gotten you as well.", she said as she cried gently on her daughter's shoulder.

"I'm okay mom, and so is dad. We're okay." The young woman spoke breaking from her mother's strong embrace.

The older woman smiled before climbing up the stairs and going to the room she shared with her husband.

Barbara hoped her mother would get a goodnight sleep, she could only imagine what her mom had gone through these past few days, with her oldest daughter taken hostage, going to the hospital, and then hearing her husband had been "killed".

She climbed up the stairs heading towards her room, the exhaustion finally getting to her. She stopped when she saw a door partially open, a small light coming from inside the room.

She walked towards Jimmy and Sarah's room, peaking through the opening.

Her father was kneeling by Jimmy's bedside; he stoked Jimmy's delicate face. The boy's eyes opened slightly, he smiled as he saw his father.

"Did Batman save you, daddy?" The young boy spoke, his voice clouded with sleep.

"Actually, this time I saved him."

Barbara smiled at the exchange; she raised her eyebrow at her father's last comment. She wondered if her father was telling the truth.

_Of course he's telling the truth, Babs…This is you're father we're talking about. He would never lie to Jimmy. _, she thought while looking at father.

She knew her father _loved_ her little brother a little more than he loved the rest of his children. Babs didn't hold any resentment towards her dad, or Jimmy.

Jimmy was his little boy…

Her father stood up walking out of the room, closing the door gently before smiling at his daughter.

Then he felt his cell phone vibrate from within his pants' left pocket. He took it out and answered the call quickly.

"Gordon here…What… Has he said anything…Okay, I'll be down there as fast as I can, just keep him in the interrogation room…Okay, bye."

Her father finished his call, and Babs could tell he looked worried.

"Dad, what's wrong?", she asked her father getting nervous just by looking at him.

Her father took a deep breath before looking back at his daughter.

"Dent…He never made it home."

Barbara's heart almost stopped when those words came out of her father's mouth, and then she knew; she just knew that somehow the Joker was involved behind it.

--

Guess who's the mysterious redhead the Joker was talking about?

It's pretty obvious...

Also this quote; _I'm just a man who's had too many bad days. You see all it takes is one bad day to reduce the sanest man alive to lunacy. That's how far the world is from where I am. Just one bad day. _

That's a quote straight from the Killing Joke, since this story is loosely based on the comic I thought it would be nice to include some quotes from it.

I might include some quotes from other comics, but not too many.

-


	13. The Interrogation

**AN** : Okay this is basically just the interrogation scene from the movie, but I thought I had to include it, because I felt it was necessary for Babs to witness it. So she could not only know what was happening, but so she could further understand not only Batman, but the Joker, and the twisted relationship these two have.

* * *

**Chapter Thirteen**

**The Interrogation**

Commissioner Gordon and his daughter left their home and headed to the MCU headquarters as soon as they got the news that Harvey Dent had disappeared. The number one suspect of the DA's disappearance was of course the criminal mastermind known only as the Joker, who was now being held at the Mayor Crimes' interrogation room.

Gordon and Babs entered the room where Det. Stephens and Ramirez, among with some other detectives who were looking at the Joker through the two way mirror that separated them from the madman.

Anna Ramirez acknowledged her boss' presence quickly as she spoke to him.

"Commissioner.", she greeted him with a nod, before noticing Barbara who was standing behind him as she entered the room as well.

"Junior."

"Hi Anna." Babs greeted the detective courteously before standing next to her.

"Has he said anything?" The Commissioner asked his rookie detective, who shook her head in disappointment.

Gordon sighed before leaving the room and entering the actual interrogation room. The room was dark, and a small light illuminated the Joker's face, giving the illusion of a floating head.

"Evening, Commissioner." The Joker drawled out mockingly as he saw the newly appointed Commissioner enter the room.

Gordon just closed the door behind him and sat down on the chair at the other side of the table.

"Harvey Dent never made it home."

The Joker didn't look one bit surprised by the news of Dent's disappearance.

"Of course not.", he replied shortly.

"What have you done with him?" Gordon questioned the madman, his patience beginning to fade as he spoke to the psychotic murderer.

"Me?", he began faking a tone of innocence before continuing.

"I was right here.", he finished raising his hands and showing the new Commissioner his handcuffs.

"Who did _you_ leave him with, hm? _Your_ people? Assuming, of course, that they are still your people and not...Maroni's."

Barbara felt herself become irritated, the madman was stalling, but for what…

She wondered what exactly the man had planned for Harvey.

Gordon looked upset by the Joker's comment, it wasn't the first time he had heard that the people in his precinct where secretly working for Maroni, Harvey himself had suggested the same thing. And James was slowly starting to believe that maybe both men where right.

"Does it depress you, Commissioner, to know just how alone you really are? Does it make you feel responsible for Harvey Dent's current predicament?" The scarred man asked Gordon.

Jim tried not to show how the Joker's comments were really affecting him, because he was actually starting to suspect that one of his own people had helped the madman kidnap Dent.

"Where is he?", he asked again, his voice now sharper.

The Joker drew out a breath of boredom before moving in his chair slightly.

"What's the time?"

"What difference does that make?" Gordon asked impatiently.

"Well, depending on the time, he could be in one place, or _several_." The Joker finished motioning with his cuffed hands.

Barbara felt herself shudder, he had to be bluffing. Babs refused to believe anything bad had happened to the idealist DA.

Her father stood up after finally loosing his patience. He reached over and uncuffed the Joker, taking the handcuffs and putting them in his jacket pocket.

"If we're gonna play games, I'm gonna need a cup of coffee.", he finished walking away from the table towards the door before opening it.

"Ah, the "good cop, bad cop" routine?" The Joker asked sarcastically.

The Commissioner looked back at the madman. "Not exactly.", he said stepping out of the room and closing the door.

The lights suddenly turn on; Barbara gasps as she sees the Batman standing right behind the Joker.

The masked vigilante pushes the Joker's head into the metal table. Babs winces lightly as hears the sound of the impact. Just then her father comes into the room and stands next to her as he watches Batman make his next move.

The Joker looks up at the Batman in shock as he touches his forehead wincing in pain.

"Never start with the head, the victim gets all _fuzzy_. He can't feel the next …"

Batman cuts him off by smashing the Joker's knuckles with his fists.

The Joker waits to register the pain, "See?", he says after awhile.

"You wanted me, here I am." The Batman said before sitting in the chair that Gordon had sat in a couple of minutes earlier.

The Joker composed himself, straightening in his chair before answering the Caped Crusader.

"I wanted to see what you'd do. And you didn't disappoint. You let 5 people die.", he said leaning forwards towards the Bat before continuing, "Then you let Dent take your place. Even to a guy like me, that's cold."

"Where's Dent?" Batman asked barely affected by the scarred man's comments.

"Those mob fools want you gone so they can get back to the way things were. But I know the truth. There's no going back. You've changed things forever."

"Then why do you wanna kill me?"

The Joker leaned back in his chair and began laughing hysterically, like he had just heard a really funny joke.

"Kill you?! I don't wanna kill you! What would I do without you? Go back to ripping off mob dealers? No. No … No."

He leaned over the table looking at Batman directly in the eyes before continuing.

"You … you _complete_ me.", he finished mockingly and at the same time seriously.

The Batman growled angrily, "You're garbage who kills for money."

"Don't talk like one of them, you're not! Even if you'd like to be." The Joker responded, surprisingly very serious and angry.

"To them, you're just a _freak_ … like me! They need you right now. When they don't … they'll cast you out. Like a leper. See, their morals, their code: it's a bad joke. They're dropped at the first sign of trouble. They're only as good as the world allows them to be. I'll show you. When the chips are down, these, uh … civilized people, they'll _eat_ each other…"

Barbara couldn't help, but wonder if what the Joker spoke was true. After all even though Batman was helping people, he was still considered a threat by people like Mayor Garcia, and other cops, except for her father, of course.

"See, I'm not a monster; I'm just ahead of the curve.", he finished leaning back into his chair and adjusting his vest.

Suddenly the Batman stands up and reaches over the table hoisting the Joker up.

"Where's Dent?", he snarled out.

"You have all these rules, and you think they'll save you."

Batman slammed the Joker against the wall next to the two way mirror.

Barbara gasped and stared at her father in question; Ramirez and the other detectives did the same.

Gordon kept his view trained on Batman and the Joker.

"He's in control."

Back inside the interrogation room, the Batman was struggling not to break his one rule.

"I have one rule."

The Joker stretched his neck, trying to breath through the chokehold the Batman had on him.

"Oh, then that's the rule you'll have to break to know the truth."

"Which is?" The masked man asked the madman tightening his chokehold.

"The only sensible way to live in this world is without rules. And tonight you're gonna break your one rule.", he told the vigilante smirking.

"I'm considering it."

"No. You're gonna have to play my little game if you want to save one of them."

_Wait a minute, did he say them?_ Babs thought deeply confused.

"Dad, what is he talking about?", she asked her father.

Her father glanced at her briefly before answering. "I have no idea."

"_Them_?" Batman voiced his confusion as well.

"You know, for a while there, I thought you really were Dent. The way you threw yourself after her …" The man with the painted face finished laughing wildly.

_Oh no, Rachel__._ Barbara thought after figuring out what the madman was talking about.

"Dad, he's got Rachel.", she informed her father.

Her father looked at her before looking back at the two men in the room with a worried expression.

That was the final straw for Batman; he'd had it with the clown. One thing was to kidnap Dent, but another was to mess with Rachel. She was the person he loved the most, one of the few people he cared for. He had done so much to ensure her safety, and he wasn't going to let this clown do anything to her.

Barbara watched terrified as the comment sent the Batman into a fit of rage. Further fueling her suspicion that Rachel knew Batman personally.

The caped man flipped the Joker onto the metal table roughly, picking the chair that had fallen to the floor and wedging it against the door handle.

Gordon's eyes widened as he walked outside of the room and tried to open the door.

"Look at you go." The Joker said as he watched Batman's enraged reaction.

"Does Harvey know about you and his little bunny?", he asked the other man after standing up from the table.

The Batman didn't reply and just smashed The Joker's head into the window. Barbara flinched and moved backwards.

"Oh, God. Make him stop.", she told her father as he stepped back into the room.

"I can't…We can only hope that he can restrain himself."

"Where are they?" Batman barked at the other man, who was now on the floor.

"Killing is a choice…"

The Batman interrupted him as he punched him. The Joker began bleeding, the blood mingling with the red lipstick that covered his lips and scars.

"Where are they?!"

"You choose between one life or the other. Your friend the District Attorney, or his blushing bride to be."

He laughed loudly as the man punched him again.

"You have nothing…_nothing_ to threaten me with, nothing to do with all your strength."

Batman picks up the Joker by his vest ready to beat the man to a bloody pulp to get his answer.

"Don't worry, I'm gonna tell you where they are. Both of 'em. And that's the point, you'll have to choose. He's at 250 52nd Street. And she's at … Avenue X at Cicero."

The Batman threw the other man on the ground, storming out of the room. Gordon sees him walking out of the building and follows him.

"Which one of them are you going after?"

"Rachel!", he yelled before climbing on the Bat-pod and speeding off.

"We'll get Dent."

"We're going to 250 52nd street.", he told the other cops coming out of the building before climbing off into a patrol car, and heading off towards his destination.

Barbara watched as they left and prayed that they could save both her friends, who were probably in danger.

--


	14. Escape

**AN**: Okay here's the deal, my updates probably won't be as quick as they use to be, because I just started school today...But that doesn't mean I'm going to make you wait a month for an update. I'll still try to update as soon as I can, but if I delay a bit, I want you guys to know that I'm not being lazy, it's just that I probably have homework, or a test or something, but I'll try not to make you guys wait more than a week for an update. I promise. Anyway thanks for the reviews. I'm really flattered that a lot of you guys are adding this fic to your favorite stories list, or to story alert. Some people have even added me to their favorite authors' list. And I'm both flattered, grateful and a little intimidated by the fact that you guys have such expectations not only of my story, but of me... So thanks for believing in me, and thank you for all the support, because it makes me strive to be even a better writer.

This chapter is a little sloppy, but it's kind of an interlude that leds into a more important chapter; I felt I had to make it to explain a few things. But it's still good, just not my best work.

**PS.** Please review after reading.

* * *

**Chapter Fourteen**

**Escape**

Barbara waited anxiously as her father and Batman went to rescue her two best friends, Harvey Dent and Rachel Dawes. She was sitting in a detective's desk, her legs shaking, it was a tick that Babs would do whenever she was nervous.

A couple of other detectives where talking among themselves. Barbara didn't speak to any of them, because frankly she didn't know who they were.

Then she wondered if most of the detectives are here and downstairs, then who was watching the Joker.

"Excuse me. Do you know who's watching the Joker?", she asked one of the officers.

The man turned to her, smiling flirtatiously.

"Don't worry, Ms. Gordon. Stephens is watching him…Do you want me to get you anything?"

Barbara was thankful, but annoyed that she was getting hit on and such a stressful time.

"No, thanks."

The man frowned as he watched her turn away from him in discomfort. He turned back to his friend, and continued their interrupted conversation.

"Oh my God!" A voice shouted out of nowhere.

The other officers and Barbara turned towards the scream to see what all the commotion was. The Joker was walking by the hallway, holding a shard of glass to Stephens' neck. The other police officers aimed their gun at him.

"Just shoot him, it's my fault. Shoot him." Stephens tells the officers, who don't have to courage to risk their friend's life.

The other detectives ignore Stephens and yell at the Joker. While Barbara just sits there shell-shocked.

"What?" The Joker asks one of the officers not fully understanding what the cops are saying.

"What do you want?" The cop who was flirting with Babs minutes earlier asks the Joker.

The Joker takes a deep breath before answering, "I just want my phone call."

The officer looks confused by the Joker' demand, before deciding to oblige to the madman's request.

"All right.", he tells the criminal mastermind before throwing him his cell phone.

The Joker catches the cell phone easily and begins typing a number. Then suddenly out of nowhere an explosion goes off underneath of the buildings. Barbara who was still sitting down falls to the floor by the impact of the explosion. Some of the officers are killed, others are merely knocked out.

The only thing the Barbara sees as she raises her head slightly is the Joker escaping before blacking out completely.

--

When Barbara wakes up she finds herself once again in a hospital room. She feels groggy and tired. She feels much worse than the last time she blacked out.

If Barbara had a penny for all the times she's fainted, she'd probably be a millionaire.

The door to her room opens suddenly and Barbara pretends to be asleep; she thinks it's probably her father coming to visit.

She feels something hard collide with her cheek. She opens her left eye slightly, being careful not to be seen by her guest, and she has to suppress a gasp as she sees who her mysterious visitor is.

It's the famous Batman standing there in front of her, staring down at her with a worried glint in his usually intense eyes, and stroking her cheek gently with his gloved hand.

"I'm sorry Barbara. I couldn't save her.", he whispered softly before leaving the room.

Barbara's eyes opened widely as she realized what the Batman had just revealed.

"_I couldn't save her."_

_Rachel…_

She sat up as her eyes began watering; her friend was dead, she was never coming back. The tears began to slip down her cheeks gently as she cried softly. Rachel had been the victim of senseless violence, of an incredible justice. What had the assistant DA done to deserve to die? Rachel, one of the most honest, hard-working and good people Barbara had ever, and would ever meet in her life was dead, gone. She had so much to live for, so much vigor and strength. She was so young; her death just showed Barbara how fleeting life is. One day you're alive and the next day you're gone, like you had never even been there in the first place.

Barbara wiped the tears of her face roughly with her palms.

_I have to get out of here. I could be next._, she thought as she looked around the room in a paranoid manner.

But Babs' paranoia was understandable, after all if the Joker had managed to grab Harvey and Rachel right under her father's nose. What was going to stop him from doing the same to Barbara?

Despite the pain, she felt a rush of adrenaline running through her body. She ripped the I.V. out of her hand roughly, wincing slightly in pain before recovering quickly and jumping out of the bed. She opened the door partially and looked out. She couldn't let anyone see her escape.

The coast was clear; there was absolutely nobody in the hallway at the moment. Barbara ran out of the room as fast as she could. She passed another hallway before entering a janitor's closet.

Thankfully in the Janitor's closet there were a couple of spare clothes. Barbara put the clothing on hurriedly taking the paper gown off in a swift manner.

She put on a dirty trucker hat she found laying on the floor. Rolling her hair until the hat covered most of it.

She hoped no one got close enough to recognize her.

She stepped out of the room hurriedly and tried to be as inconspicuous as possible. She didn't want too much attraction to herself.

Just as she was walking down the busy hallway, she noticed her father stepping out of a room, looking extremely disappointed. She saw him shake his head slowly and look down at the floor, sighing deeply before walking towards the elevator.

Barbara hid behind a wall as her father walked right past her.

When she made sure he was gone, she headed to the room her father had previously been in.

She opened the door gently walking inside, before recognizing the figure lying in the bed.

It was Harvey…

Barbara sighed silently in relief as she realized that at least Harvey had made it out with his life. The man had his eyes closed, and it looked like he had dozed off.

He was murmuring words in his sleep. As Barbara got closer to him she could hear the words and strings of incoherent sentences coming out of his mouth.

"Why did you come for me…? Rachel…Why me…Gordon…your fault…Joker…"

Poor Harvey, Babs could only imagine what her friend had gone through. Loosing the love of his life, being threaten and almost killed by a psychopath.

"Rachel!", he shouted in his sleep, making Babs jump backwards, as he turned his head to the side.

Barbara almost gasped, but she managed to muffle it, as she placed both hands on her mouth.

The left side of the District Attorney's face was completely scarred…Well actually it wasn't even scarred; it looked like all his skin had been melted off, his muscles, bones, and teeth where now visible to the naked eye.

Barbara removed the hands from her mouth and began walking backwards towards the door. She couldn't seem to take her eyes away from Harvey's face. It was like watching a car wreck; it was horrifying and completely mesmerizing at the same time.

She finally turned away from the man and walked out of the room, shutting the door behind her, slumping as she did so.

She decided not to waste any more time, she had to get out of the hospital. She had to find the Batman, by his side she would be safe…By his side, the Joker couldn't so much as lay a finger on her.

She slipped out of the building unnoticed, she didn't care if she had to walk all the way down to Gotham Central, she would find Batman…She had to find Batman, her life depended on it.

--

Plz review.


	15. 60 Minutes

**AN **:Yeah, thanks UncloudedDragon for mentioning that. I fixed it, that's why chapter 14 was removed, but as you guys can see I already posted it back. Anyway on with the update. This chapter is relatively small, but again I have to follow the film.

Also thanks to Laurenmlbc for wishing me luck with school. I need it, I'm at a new school so I'm kind of adjusting, making new friends, etc. It's all really nerve wracking. Also thanks because you've been an avid reader since I started, and you always leave such nice and helpful comments. So thanks, anyways on with the show. Enjoy...

* * *

**Chapter Fifteen**

**60 Minutes**

Barbara walked and walked…Her legs felt sore and tired as she walked all the way from the Gotham General Hospital to Gotham Central where she knew she would at least find her father. She had been so silly thinking that she could find the Batman. No one knew how to find him. The only possible way to get in contact with the masked vigilante was to turn on the Bat-signal at the MCU roof, but it was too early for that.

--

She arrived at her father's precinct; she almost stumbled as she walked up the stairs. She stopped when she arrived at the receptionist's counter.

She recognized the old woman sitting behind the long counter. It was old Mrs. Jenkins, she had been working in the force for thirty years, and she was a very good friend of the family.

"Excuse me, could you call Commissioner Gordon. Please its urgent.", she said between small breaths.

Mrs. Jenkins looked up from her counter at the young woman standing before her.

"I'm sorry, Miss. But the Commissioner is really busy right now…"

Barbara took her trucker hat off shaking her hair slightly, Mrs. Jenkins' eyes widened as she recognized the redhead immediately, she was the spitting image of her mother. It was of course the Commissioner's daughter, Barbara Gordon Jr.

"Junior…You're suppose to be in the hospital…"

"Please call my father, its urgent.", she interrupted the old woman, as she rubbed her forehead, she really had no time for small talk right now.

The older woman looked taken aback by the rude interruption, but she recovered quickly picking up her phone and pushing one of the tagged buttons.

"Hello Clark, I need the Commissioner to come down here right now, it' urgent…Yes, I know, but…Look tell him his daughter is here…Of course it's Barbara…Alright, goodbye."

She hanged the phone lightly before looking back at the anxious redhead.

"He's coming down."

"Thanks." Babs' whispered quietly before moving away from the counter and leaned against the wall next to the elevator. After a couple of seconds, she saw her father walking out of the elevator, looking around restlessly.

"Dad.", she called him as she moved towards him.

Gordon turned his head towards her direction, his eyes widened considerably as he noticed the state she was in.

"Barbara, what are you doing here? What are you wearing?", he asked quickly as he looked her up and down.

"Dad, I don't have time to explain…Look I wasn't safe there, okay. The Joker…He's coming to get me."

Gordon's reaction to his daughter's allegations was unreadable…She didn't know if he believe her, or if he just thought she was paranoid.

After a couple of minutes of silence and staring Gordon spoke.

"I think you need to go home…"

"No, dad…He…"

"Barbara, please listen to me…Right now, we don't know where the Joker is, but I assure you that I won't let him get you, I promise. The safest place right now is back home. He doesn't know where we live, okay?"

Barbara nodded wordlessly, her father had better things to do than protect his paranoid daughter from absolutely no danger. The Joker only attacked important people, Barbara knew she wasn't important.

"I'll send Stephens to take you home."

"No, its okay, dad. I can make it back."

"Well at least take a cab.", he said handing her two twenty dollar bills.

Babs took the money before giving her father a hug and saying goodbye.

She took a cab all the way home, when she arrived her mother drew a warm bath for her.

As Barbara entered the bathroom, she took her clothes off swiftly, going into the tub and letting the water settle around her.

She submerged herself into the water. She opened her mouth letting the oxygen slip out of her lungs, and taking a mouthful of water.

When she began to feel dizzy from the lack of oxygen she came out for air.

The experience was overwhelming, the lack of air, and the growing darkness. Was that what Rachel had seen before she died, the darkness before it all slipped away, or had her death been quick and painless, Barbara hoped it had been the latter.

At least she didn't die directly by the hands of the Joker, knowing the madman's sadistic streak; Rachel would have suffered a whole lot more than she probably did.

After the bath she dressed into a tank top and skinny jeans. She sat on the couch and flipped the TV channels with disinterest.

She stopped flipping through channels, finally settling for the last one.

"_Good evening, I'm Mike Engel, and tonight this is a GCN special report."_

"_Tonight with us, we have Coleman Reese, a former accountant for Wayne Industries. He is here because he claims to know the true identity of the Batman."_

_What? That can't be true._ Barbara though nervously.

There was no way a mere accountant knew the best kept secret in Gotham. Barbara just couldn't believe it.

Next to the blond anchorman the man, Coleman Reese sat. He had non-descript features, he was incredibly ordinary in many ways. He looked relatively short, he was wearing a business suit, and his short light brown hair was combed neatly.

"_Is it true, that you actually know the true identity of the masked vigilante known as Batman?" Mike asked the accountant leaning slightly over his desk. _

_It was clear that even the anchorman was excited about knowing the well-kept secret. _

"_Well yes…I waited for the Batman to do the right thing, but people are dying and I feel like I have to speak up for the people of Gotham.", the man replied looking directly at the camera. _

It was clear to Barbara that the man was putting on an act. She couldn't believe what this man was about to do. Babs hoped that he was a phony.

"_Alright, let's hit the phone lines. Okay caller number one, do you have a question Mr. Reese?"_

"_Yes…How do you know for sure the Joker will stop when you reveal the Batman's identity? Even Harvey Dent didn't want to give in to this madman, what makes you think you can?"_

_Coleman looked a little taken aback by the caller's question. He stammered lightly as he answered the question to the best of his abilities. _

"_Well I think…that if we spoke to Dent today, he would probably have another opinion…"_

"_Yes, of course and we wish him a speedy recovery. God knows we need him."_

_Mike interrupted Reese with his "get well" wish for the injured DA. _

"_Alright, we're taking a break, but when we come back we will be taking more calls, before Mr. Reese finally reveals the identity of Batman."_

The anchorman smiled briefly before the image cut off; some cell phone commercial started playing, but Barbara paid no attention to the commercials, her mind was racing with thoughts. This couldn't be happening, it was nightmare and Babs was probably going to wake up soon.

Her best friend had been murdered by a psychopath, her other friend had been scarred horribly (physically and emotionally), and now the identity of the only hero left in Gotham was about to be revealed.

"_Alright, I'm Mike Engel, and we're back here with Coleman Reese, former accountant at Wayne Industries, and the man who claims to know the identity of Batman. We're taking you're calls, so if you want to ask or say something to Mr. Reese, please pick up a phone and call us at the number below."_

_There was a moment of silence between Reese and Engel. Coleman looked like he just wanted to get it over with. He wasn't equipped to answer questions, he was an accountant, he could barely handle board meetings._

"_Alright, it seems we have another caller…Alright what is you're name and what is you're question for Mr. Reese?" _

There was a loud chuckle, and Barbara immediately knew who the caller was.

"_I had a vision, of a world without Batman. The mob ground out a little profit and the police tried to shut them down, one block at a time. And it was so... boring. I've had a change of heart. I don't want Mr. Reese spoiling everything, but why should I have all the fun? Let's give someone else a chance. If Coleman Reese isn't dead in sixty minutes then I blow up a hospital."_

_The Joker spoke, his voice loud and clear. Reese looked nervous and scared as he glanced around the studio. Mike Engel took his earpiece off, and began talking to the people behind the camera. He was obviously worried as well. The show went quickly into commercials. _

Barbara gaped; she couldn't believe what she had just witnessed. Was the Joker actually serious?

_Of course, he's serious Babs. He's a sociopath._, she thought in panic as she realized the Joker wasn't joking at all. If Reese wasn't dead in an hour he was most definitely going to blow up a hospital.

The highest profiled hospital was Gotham General, and it happened to be the same hospital Barbara had fled from, and that Harvey Dent was currently being held at until further recovery.

Babs fumbled with her purse, as she searched for her cell phone. When she finally found the gadget, she called her father.

"_Gordon."_, her father's voice was still sharp over the phone, and she noticed the hidden anxiety behind his usually calm tone.

"Dad, it's me Babs. Did you watch the GCN report?"

"_Yeah, I know already. I've already called an order to evacuated Gotham General. Right now I'm heading to GCN headquarters to escort Reese until all of this blows off. Junior, promise me, you'll stay home with your mother and your siblings. Promise me you'll stay home. Promise me."_, his voice was urgent, and it tore Barbara's heart.

She couldn't lie to him, and she couldn't leave her family at a time like this, even though she wanted to be involved as much as she could. Right now she would have to stay in the sidelines.

"Alright. I'll stay here. Be careful dad."

"_I will. I love you, Junior." _There was something in her father's voice, and Barbara knew that her father's life was at risk as well.

God knows what people would do to kill Reese. She just prayed that nothing happened to her father. She couldn't go through that pain of loosing him for a second time. The first time had been hard enough.

"I love you too, Dad. Bye.", she whispered quietly, her voice clouded with worry.

"_Goodbye."_

_--_


	16. The Seed of Betrayal

**AN : Okay, thanks for the wonderful reviews as always. Anyway someone asked why one of the genres is romance, when there is no visible romance in the story. As I said the romance is a backstory is not really that important. In the last few chapters however there will be more visible romance. And in the two sequels I am planning to write there will be a lot more romance. I plan to make a sequel that takes place after the movie, and I also want to make a sequel/spin off, that deals with Harleen Quinzel from the events on TDK, to after the film when the Joker is instated into Arkham. I think I'm going to make the spin off with Harley Quinn first. Also I wanted to ask you guys something very important, do you guys want Babs to stay confined to the wheelchair after her accident like in the original comic, or do you guys want me to depart from the comic in that aspect. The reason why I'm asking is because I am really torn here, and I need help. So be honest and tell me your opinion, because I will listen to it and take it into account when I'm writing that chapter. **

**Anyway on with the story. Enjoy...**

* * *

**Chapter Sixteen**

**The Seed of Betrayal**

In the course of twenty-four hours, the Joker had managed to blown up Gotham General; thankfully Commissioner Gordon send the word out fast enough for the hospital to be evacuated. And so everyone was safe, that was except for a bus with over fifty people that had mysteriously disappeared from the premises.

Apart from that there was word that Harvey Dent had been evacuated from the hospital and was currently being held in a private clinic for his own safety.

Barbara was still very worried, her father hadn't called her at all, and she was anxious to know where Harvey was being held at. She had come to the conclusion that she did love Harvey, not just as a friend, but as something more, but that didn't exactly mean she was in love with him.

She remembered that night when they waited by the roof, the creeping jealousy she felt within her when she thought of Harvey and Rachel's date. How she tried to seem eager and happy for her male friend, but in the end faked it.

Even though Harvey was now horribly scarred, and Barbara wasn't going to lie, and say she still felt extremely attracted to him, she wasn't perhaps attracted to him physically now as she had once been, but she still cared immensely for him, and she still loved him with all her heart.

She was worried, even thought the media claimed Harvey was safe and sound, for some reason Barbara was still skeptical. She wanted her father to call her and tell her that the district attorney was alright, that he was taking care of him. She didn't want to call her father herself, because she knew he was tremendously busy right now.

Turning on the TV to watch the GCN evening news, to see if she could find any further information about Harvey, or the people from the bus that had disappeared.

"_The bus that carried over fifty people from Gotham General Hospital, including our GCN's own Mike Engel has not yet been found...It seems we have just received a video we will now play for you…"_

_The image flickered from the stand-in anchorman to the regular anchorman Mike Engel. The blond anchorman was not as he usually looked; neatly combed hair and nice pressed suits._

_He was hanging upside down and holding to a few crumpled sheets of paper, Barbara really couldn't identify the background that well. The anchorman looked flushed, but most of all he looked scared._

"_What will it take to make you people understand. I've gotta get you out of your cozy little lives and into the game; if you don't wanna be part of the game leave now…There's a surprise waiting in the bridges and tunnels. Ha ha ha…"_

_The anchorman's scared muttering was interrupted by a high pitch giggle. The camera turned away from the man that was hanging upside down, and it barely caught a glimpse at the Joker himself as he turned the camera off. _

Barbara turned the TV off; she had enough of the Joker and his twisted games. What was he planning now? Even though the video left you believing he was probably going to blow up the tunnels and bridges, Babs knew better. The Joker would never do anything so predictable; no, this was just a diversion, he had another plan. Something worse…

But what did the Joker want to prove?

Barbara thought as hard as she could, then suddenly she remembered the conversation the madman had with the Batman during the interrogation down at MCU.

…_their morals, their code: it's a bad joke. They're dropped at the first sign of trouble. They're only as good as the world allows them to be. I'll show you. When the chips are down, these, uh…civilized people, they'll eat each_ _other..._

Those are the exact same words that the Joker had used when he was speaking to Batman.

But what could the Joker do to prove Batman he was right?

Barbara was conflicted, trying to figure a man like the Joker was complicated, after all he wasn't an ordinary criminal. He didn't want money, he didn't have a reason, or at least that Babs knew of, to do the horrible things he did. He didn't even want fame, even though he sure was getting it with the sadistic actions that he inflected upon the residents of Gotham.

Barbara's frantic thoughts were interrupted as her mother walked into the living room. She looked rushed.

"Mom, what's wrong?"

Barbara Senior glanced at her daughter anxiously before she answered her, "Barbara, honey we need to leave now…Anna called and she said your father is waiting for us. She sounded nervous. She said we should leave now on your father's instructions."

If Ramirez had called it had to be urgent.

"Okay, um…Should we tell Stephens and Walker about it? They should probably escort us."

Barbara Sr. shook her head. "No, Anna said that no one else can be trusted. That we have to leave without an escort."

"But dad trusts Stephens..." , she drifted off as she tried to think of reasons why her father didn't trust one of his best friends.

Maybe there was a traitor in her father's precinct, but she doubted Stephens was that traitor, after all she had known him ever since she was a little girl. She just couldn't imagine him betraying her father for scum like Maroni. Det. Stephens was also an open Batman supporter, so that made it even more doubtful that he was working for the mob. Then again Barbara trusted her father to make the right decision, and if he had instructed Ramirez to tell them to leave their home without an escort, then that's what they would do.

"Okay. I'll get Jimmy and Sarah.", she finally decided standing up from the couch and heading upstairs to search for her small siblings.

She managed to wake Jimmy up, but Sarah was a little less helpful, so Babs carried her down.

"Where are we going?", she asked her mother struggling slightly with her sister's weight, as she descended the stairs.

"Anna told me your father wanted us to go to 250 52nd street, apparently there's a warehouse there. She says we'll be safe there.", her mother responded taking Jimmy's hand and heading towards the door.

250 25nd street, which sounded familiar, like she had heard of the place before, even though she had never been there. But Babs couldn't remember where she had heard it before. She shook the thought and trudged to the doorway. Her mother opened the door, letting Barbara pass quickly before closing the door.

The foursome walked towards her mother's small car.

She laid Sarah carefully in the back seat with Jimmy. Barbara's mother decided to drive and it was a good decision. Babs had been gone from the Gotham for so long, and even though she was now familiar with most places, it was better that her mother drove them to their location.

As Barbara sat there in the passenger seat, her eyes drooped as she felt the exhaustion finally get to her. She finally let sleep over take her, after all everything was going to be okay…

Or was it?

--


	17. Two Face

**AN:** Thanks you for your opinions, trust me they helped me make the decision, which I've already made, but I will not reveal which one I picked, you'll have to wait until that chapter comes out to see what happens to Barbara. Anyway I enjoyed writing this chapter, so I hope you guys enjoy reading it.

* * *

**Chapter Seventeen**

**Two-Face**

Barbara was awoken roughly from her dreamless sleep. She remembered dozing off during their drive, after all she had an incredibly strenuous day.

"Wake up."

Babs recognized her mother's voice as she opened her eyes slowly. She looked around and noticed they were parked right in front of an abandoned warehouse.

"Is this the place?", she asked slowly taking in the location. It didn't exactly look like the safest place in Gotham.

"Well, yes…This is the right street, and this is the only warehouse around here. So I suppose this is the place." Her mother told her, but she didn't sound so sure either.

They walked out of the car, Sarah and Jimmy took their mother's hands as she walked them over to the building. Barbara walked a few steps behind her family as she studied the location.

_250 52__nd__ street, I've heard that before, but where?_, she though as she saw her mother and her siblings walk into the abandoned building.

Then like a bolt of lightening it hit her, this is the place where Rachel had been held hostage by the Joker. This is the place where her best friend died.

Barbara gulped and ran into the building. She knew it wasn't a coincidence, and then she realized that Ramirez had been one of the cops Maroni had been paying off. A woman that her father, her family, and Barbara herself trusted had betrayed them. She had led them here where they would probably be killed by one of Maroni's thugs, or one of the members of the Joker's clown posse.

She ran until she was inside the building where she began to search for her family.

"Mom…Mom! Jimmy…Sarah! We have to get out of here!", she yelled with no avail.

None of her family members replied to her screams, and Barbara began to wonder if someone had gotten to them already. She tried not to think about anything negative as she searched around the burned down warehouse.

"Barbara, what's wrong?", she heard her mother's voice just around a corner.

As she turned she felt an arm snake around her neck, and set her into a strong chokehold. She couldn't move, she could barely breathe. Her mother gasped as she saw her daughter being restrained. Babs could see the terrified expressions on her siblings' faces and it scared her even more to see her family so utterly frightened.

"Hello Babs."

Junior's eyes widened as she recognized the man's voice, it was Harvey's voice, but is sounded different. Instead of his usually jokingly bright tone, he sounded bitter, mocking, and angry.

He didn't sound like the Harvey Barbara knew. He sounded like somebody else entirely.

"Harvey, what are you doing?", she murmured as she tried to breathe through the chokehold.

"I'm exacting my revenge…on your father; you see he was the real cause for Rachel's death." He responded angrily as he pressed his gun into her side.

She gulped as she felt the weapon against the fabric of her shirt.

"Harvey, you know my dad didn't cause Rachel's death. He cared for Rachel…He tried to save her…"

He was interrupted by the furious DA, "Shut up! Don't you dare talk about Rachel! Don't you even utter her name!"

"Please Harvey, don't do this.", she tried to plead to her friend as she watched her mother's eyes water.

"Oh, Barbara. You're so naïve…I guess that's what I use to like about you in a way…I found it endearing…But now, it's just annoying.", he whispered in her ear.

"Mom get out of here. Take Jimmy and Sarah, and get out!", she shouted at her mom, who was clutching Jimmy and Sarah to her sides as she looking petrified and shocked at her eldest daughter, who was currently being held by Dent.

Barbara Sr. moved slightly before Harvey stopped her.

"You move, Mrs. Gordon and I shoot your daughter.", he said in a threatening tone.

Barbara Sr.'s eyes widened and she remained embedded where she was standing, not daring to move, because she could tell Dent wasn't bluffing.

"Okay…Now I want you, Mrs. Gordon to move over to the back, and sit down while I contact Mr. Gordon, and we wait for him to show up. Is that understood?", he asked the older woman, while cocking his gun and pressing it harder to Barbara's side.

Babs' mother looked alarmed as she nodded repeatedly. She walked towards the back of the warehouse where she sat down and clutched her small children to her chest.

Barbara felt the chokehold loosen slightly, until finally Harvey let go of her completely.

"Turn around.", he commanded.

She tried to regulate her breathing as she turned around and faced her scarred boss.

She winced as she saw the melted side of his face; he noticed her disgust as he approached her.

"Do you find me disgusting? Is the sight of my disfigured face unbearable to you?", he asked angrily as he pushed her against a large column.

She was speechless as she stared at his face, unable to take her eyes of his defacement. The muscles peeking out, the teeth showing through, the bulging eye ball.

"I…I…"

"Am I that disgusting that you can barely speak?"

This time he didn't really sound angry, he sounded sad. Unhappy that the woman who he had once looked at him with admiration, now looked at him with abhorrence. She could barely stand the sight of him, and then he realized that no only had Gordon taken Rachel away from him, but he had also made him a freak of nature, like the Joker or the Bat. No one would ever take him seriously now, no one would ever love him again…Barbara would never love a freak with two faces.

How could she, when she could barely look at him?

He gave her angry look, she was just like the others; beautiful women like her only really ever cared about petty things like looks, and money, she would never accept him for who he was. Rachel was the only person who could ever really accept him, and she was gone. He knew that if she had lived, she would have accepted him no matter what.

"I'm sorry…" That was all Barbara managed to mutter as she shrunked back against the concrete column.

He got closer to her until his nose was centimeters away from his. He made his move and kissed the repulsed redhead roughly.

When he broke the kiss, he pulled her forward as he grabbed her arm forcefully. He forced her to walk all the way to the back where he dropped her next to her family.

Her mother's hand arm enveloped around her as she tried to shield her oldest daughter from the vengeful DA. Barbara clutched her little sister, Sarah, and held on to her mother for dear life.

Harvey took out a cell phone from his pant pocket. He dialed a number quickly before putting the phone next to Babs' ear.

"Tell your dad to come here. That's all you have to do. If you don't comply, I'll shoot the girl.", he said as he aimed the gun at the terrified little girl who just clutched her older sister tighter and close her eyes.

Barbara nodded wordlessly as she watched him with fearful eyes.

"_Hello?"_

"Dad, he has us."

"_Babs, what's wrong? Who has you?"_

Then Harvey pulled the cell phone away from Babs and gave it to Mrs. Gordon, who clutched at it desperately.

"Jim, help! We're in trouble." Barbara Sr. said with a frightened tone.

"_Calm down, Barbara. What's going on?"_ Jim Gordon tried to calm his distressed wife as he addressed her.

"Jim, he had the kids!"

Harvey took the phone away from Mrs. Gordon forcibly. He put the cell phone against his ear, while keeping the gun aimed directly at Gordon's family.

"Hello Jim._"_

"_Harvey? What did you do? Where's my family?"_ The Commissioner asked him frantically, as he recognized Harvey's voice over the phone.

"Where my family died.", he replied in a monotone voice.

He ended the call after that.

He would show the Commissioner what real pain was, he was going to take the person Gordon loved most, and make them pay for his sins. Even if that person turned out to be Barbara Jr.

Harvey wasn't going to let his petty emotions get in the way of his need to exact revenge on the man that had ruined his life.

--


	18. The Dark Knight

AN : Okay, thanks for all the wonderful reviews.

I don't really have that much more to say, except enjoy the story. Love yah guys!!

* * *

**Chapter Eighteen**

**The Dark Knight**

Barbara could feel her heart thumping loudly against her chest. She heard footsteps against the gravel, and she knew it was not Harvey. She hoped her father wouldn't let Harvey overpower him.

The sounds of the footsteps got closer, and Barbara wanted to warn her father, but frankly she was too afraid of what Harvey might do if she did.

"Dent!" Her father's voice got louder as he got closer to where they were sitting.

As Gordon turned a corner, he saw his family sitting down next to a large cement column. When he started to walk towards them Harvey came from behind and pushed him to the ground, hitting him in the back with his gun.

James fell to the ground and grunted in pain. He sat up slightly wincing; when he was just about to stand up, Harvey stopped him as he pointed the gun straight at him.

"This is where they brought her, Gordon…after your men handed her over. This is where she died." Dent said melancholically as he glanced around the warehouse and then back at Gordon.

"I know. I was here, trying to save her." Dent told the vengeful DA as he tried to reason with him.

"But you didn't!" Harvey yelled angrily as he approached the fallen Commissioner.

"I couldn't!" Jim Gordon replied desperately.

Harvey growled, he couldn't believe that Gordon wasn't even accepting the responsibility for his actions. When he had clearly been the one responsible for Rachel's death. If only Gordon had let him in the plan with the Batman sooner; if he had trusted him, none of this would have happened.

"Yes, you could have. If you had listened to me…if you stood up against corruption…instead of doing your deal with the devil!"

"I was trying to fight the mob!" Gordon retorted in anger.

He couldn't believe Harvey was actually holding him responsible for Rachel's premature death. Clearly the one person responsible for the assistant DA's demise had been the Joker.

"You wouldn't dare try to justify yourself if you knew what I lost. Have you ever had to talk to the person you love most? To tell them it's going to be all right, when you know that it's not? Well, you're about to know what it feels like, Gordon. Then you can look me in the eye and tell me you're sorry."

Harvey replied back defending his actions. To him, all that he was doing was fair. It was simple payback; it was only reasonable that Gordon loose someone he loved, just as Harvey had lost the person he had loved the most.

"You're not going to hurt my family." The Commissioner stated as he watched Harvey walk towards his family.

"No, just the person you love most.", he replied as he crouched next to the Commissioner's wife and children.

He pointed the gun at Mrs. Gordon, who just looked away and tightened her hold on her children.

"Is it your wife?"

"Harvey don't." Barbara muttered as she watched her former friend aim his gun at her mother. Tears streaked down the redhead's cheeks.

"Put the gun down Dent!" Jim shouted as he watched the vengeful man threaten his wife, "Please.", he finished whispering.

When Dent saw he wasn't getting the kind of reaction he wanted out of Gordon, he moved the gun towards Sarah.

"Please." Gordon said, reaching towards them, his eyes watering quickly.

Then Harvey aimed the gun at Barbara Jr.

"Stop.", she whispered crying, as she closed her eyes in fear.

Tears prickled around the corner of James' eyes, as he watched Dent point the gun at his eldest daughter.

"Please, Harvey stop.", he spoke louder this time as he tried to plead for his daughter's life.

Finally Harvey moved to Jimmy, who moved closer to his mother, and clutched his little sister harder.

"Goddamn it, will you stop pointing that gun at my family?!" The Commissioner finally shouted.

Harvey smiled content with the reaction he had gotten out of Gordon. Secretly the DA was happy that it hadn't been Barbara.

"We have a winner.", he said as he moved forward to grab the boy.

Barbara Sr. tried to hold on to her son, but it was no use. Harvey grabbed the boy effortlessly; he pulled the boy up, and moved away from Gordon and his family.

"No. Jim, stop him!" The boy's mother pleaded to her husband.

Barbara began to cry louder as she watched her helpless little brother at the hands of the man she cared for dearly.

"Harvey? Harvey! I'm sorry! For everything!", he apologized desperately.

"Please, don't hurt my son." Gordon pleaded, as he watched his son begin to cry quietly.

Harvey looked at Gordon for a moment, seemingly considering it.

All of the sudden the sounds of police sirens, barking dogs, and car tires screeching where heard from outside of the warehouse. Harvey snarled as he realized that Gordon had informed his police buddies.

"You brought your cops?!", he yelled loudly at the Commissioner, clutching the boy tighter.

"All they know is this is a situation. They don't know who or what, they're just creating a perimeter."

Harvey chuckled, but it was void of any joy or mock, it was bitter and angry.

"You think I want to escape from this?! There is no escape from this!"

And it was the truth; he knew what he wanted to do. He knew what would happen after he did it, and he was alright with that. No longer would he be Gotham's White Knight, he would be known as the man who murdered the Commissioner's young son, and he would accept that. Because he would at least be happy knowing he took the person Jim Gordon loved the most.

"You don't want to hurt the boy, Harvey."

The Batman spoke as he emerged from the shadows. Barbara sighed in relief; Batman would get them out of this.

Harvey turned to the vigilante in surprise, but he recovered quickly, as he pushed the barrel of the gun against the boy's temple, and moved back to face Batman as well.

"It's not about what I want! It's about what's _fair!_ You thought we could be decent men in an _indecent_ time! But you were wrong. The world is cruel. And the only morality in a cruel world…", he stopped as he reached into his inner jacket pocket as he pulled out his "lucky" two faced coin before continuing, "…is chance. Unbiased, unprejudiced, fair. His son's got the same chance she had: 50/50."

"What happened to Rachel wasn't chance. We decided to act. We three." Batman said as he moved closer to Harvey and the boy.

"Then why was it me who was the only one who lost everything?!"

Batman paused for a moment, and Barbara could see anguish in the masked man's eyes as he answered the DA. "It wasn't."

Harvey ignored Batman as he spoke again, "The Joker chose me!"

"Because you were the best of us. He wanted to prove that even someone as good as you could fall."

"And he was right.", he replied looking defeated.

"You're the one pointing the gun, Harvey. So point it at the people responsible."

Batman said as he referred to the Commissioner, Harvey and himself. After all they were the ones responsible for Rachel's death, because they had not acted fast enough.

"Fair enough. You first." The DA said as he looked at the Bat, he flipped the coin quickly; it landed on the marred side. Dent smiled pleased with the result, as he shot Batman in the abdomen.

Batman fell on his back from the impact, Barbara yelled loudly as she watched the man who had once saved her life fall and lie on the ground motionlessly.

Then Harvey put the gun to his own head, "My turn."

He inhaled and closed his eyes before flipping the coin. He exhaled loudly in relief when the coin landed on the unmarred side. Harvey might be vengeful, but that didn't mean he wanted to die.

He pointed the gun at Jimmy again as he was about to flip the coin again.

"Harvey, you're right. Rachel's death was my fault…"

Barbara interrupted her father as she stood up.

Harvey gave her a curious look, before taking a step back.

"Take me…Leave him alone, take me. It was also my fault…I was there with Rachel at MCU. I left her alone…I'm also responsible.", she confessed crying.

Gordon stared at his daughter with alarm.

"Barbara don't…" Her father tried to reason with her, but she wouldn't have it.

"Take me. Leave my brother alone, and take me."

Harvey was flabbergasted. He didn't really want to hurt Barbara, but part of him was enraged as he realized she was also responsible for Rachel's death. He had trusted her, he though of her as a friend.

Harvey finally let go of the boy who staggered towards his mother. Then Dent aimed the gun at Barbara.

"Alright." It was all he said as he flipped the coin.

But before Dent could catch the coin, Batman tackled him over the side of the building. Barbara and Gordon ran over to the ledge, they tried to help the Bat, but to no avail. The man was simply too heavy. He lost his grip on the pole he was holding onto, crashing through certain planks of wood before he landed next to a motionless Harvey.

Babs ran down several stairs before walking out to the back of the warehouse. She kneeled next to Batman, and touched his chest gently with the palm of her hand. She traced the bat-insignia, her hand moving from his chest, to the man's face, as she caressed his jaw gently.

"Batman…C'mon you can't die on me."

As if on cue, the Batman's eyes opened.

"You're alive." The redhead whispered slowly, as she smiled down at the man who had not only saved her once, but twice.

Batman touched the hand that was lying on his chest with his own gloved one.

"Are you alright?", he asked her looking directly into her eyes.

Barbara chuckled. "I don't think you should be the one asking that question."

Barbara could have sworn that for a second there, she saw a small smile on the masked vigilante's face, before he stood up.

Then Gordon ran down towards the two.

Commissioner Gordon moved towards Batman and his daughter. He hugged Barbara tightly, before turning to Batman.

"Thank you."

"You don't have to thank me." The vigilante replied wincing in pain as he began to feel the impact of the fall.

"Yes, I do." James replied in all honesty.

Then the three moved looked at Harvey's motionless figure lying on the ground.

"The Joker won. Harvey's prosecution, everything he fought for, undone. Every chance we had at fixing our city dies with Harvey's reputation. We bet it all on him. The Joker took the best of us and tore it down. People will lose hope." Gordon said sadly as he looked down at Harvey.

"They won't. They must never know what he did." The Batman spoke through intense pain.

"Five dead, two of them cops. You can't sweep that up."

"But the Joker cannot win."

Batman replied as he kneeled down next to Dent.

"Gotham needs its true hero.", he said as he turned Harvey's face so the unmarred side of his face was facing up.

Gordon shook his head as he understood what the Batman meant. "No.", he whispered looking directly at the Bat.

Barbara understood as well, Batman was planning to take the blame for what Harvey had done. She couldn't let him do that.

"No, you're not doing it."

Batman turned to Barbara. "I have to…_You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain._"

He turned back to Gordon as he spoke to him.

"I can do those things because I'm not a hero, unlike Dent. I killed those people. That's what I can be."

Gordon and Barbara looked visibly hurt as Batman offered to willingly sacrifice himself.

"No, no! You can't, you're not!" Gordon said vehemently.

He handed Gordon his radio. "Call it in."

"Dad, don't do it." Barbara tried to persuade her father to do otherwise.

But the Commissioner nodded wordlessly, and followed the Caped Crusader's command. It had to be done; they couldn't let the Joker win. He called it in, Stephens couldn't believe it, but Gordon didn't let the detective argue against him, he even yelled at the poor clueless detective. When he finished, he turned the radio off, looking back at Batman.

"They'll hunt you."

"You'll hunt me. You'll condemn me, set the dogs on me. Because that's what needs to happen." The Batman replied walking away from Gordon.

Barbara followed the masked vigilante, tugging his cape lightly to get his attention. He turned towards her, looking at her through caring eyes.

"You can't do this…You don't have to.", she said as she tried to convince him not to take the fault for Harvey's crimes.

"I have to.", he told her grabbing her shoulders gently.

"Why? Why do you feel you have to do this?"

He leaned his head towards hers, until they were only inches apart.

"Because sometimes the truth isn't good enough. Sometimes people deserve more. Sometimes people deserve to have their faith rewarded."

He spoke to her gently; his gloved hand coming to stroke the side of her face, Barbara leaned forward and kissed the corner of his mouth softly. When she leaned back, he gave her a strange look she couldn't quite decipher.

After a couple of seconds of staring and silence, he let her go, turning away from her, and running away.

Barbara watched him, a few tears leaking out from the corner of her eyes. It just wasn't fair. All that Batman wanted to was make Gotham a better place for its citizens.

Jimmy ran down towards his sister.

"Batman? Batman!" The boy tried to call his hero, but he was already gone.

Gordon approached both his children, standing in between Babs and Jimmy, staring at the direction Batman had taken.

"Why is he running, dad?" Jimmy asked his father confused as to why the man who had just saved their lives, was running away form the scene, as if he had been the one to commit the crime.

"Because we have to chase him..." Her father spoke visibly shaken, but the respect he felt for the man was evident on his voice, _"_Because he's the hero that Gotham deserves, but not the one it needs right now. So we'll hunt him, because he can take it. Because he's not a hero; he's a silent guardian, a watchful protector, a Dark Knight."

--

Barbara turned back towards Harvey's body, she stared at him sadly. She felt so disappointed; she had believed that he could change Gotham, that he was the kind of man who wouldn't let anything get to him. But he was unfortunately, he had let the Joker twist his morals and his believes, until the only thing left inside of him was his need to exact vengeance on those he thought responsible for the death of the woman he loved.

Her eyes widened slightly as she saw his chest move lightly, she kneeled down next to the motionless man. Pressing her ear to Harvey's chest.

She gasped as she felt his heart thumping against her chest. He was alive; Harvey was alive.

"Dad, he's alive.", she said to her father as she looked at him.

Gordon's eyes widened, this would certainly complicate things.

"What are we going to do now?", he asked, grasping his hair in frustration.

"We can't let anyone know he's alive…We have to hide him, before you're cops come."

It sounded like a good idea, but what we're they going to do with him after that?

Then it was like a bulb went on in Gordon's head.

"Arkham…We can keep him in Arkham. When Crane use to be the head psychiatrist at Arkham, he had a special floor, where he would keep secret prisoners, and he would experiment on them. Only a few people found out about it. It's still a well-kept secret. No one would find him there." The Commissioner told his daughter about his plan.

It sounded like a good idea. To the rest of Gotham, Harvey would be dead, because Batman was right. That's what needed to be done. People couldn't lose hope, the Joker couldn't win. He wouldn't win, and Barbara and Jim Gordon were going to make sure of that. They would make sure that all that Batman had sacrificed wouldn't be in vain.

-


	19. The Killing Joke

**AN: Okay we arrived at the moment of truth, this is the definitive chapter of my story. But don't get it twisted, it's not the last chapter, I've got at least two more left. After this story is over, I am planning to make two more stories. I've considered it, and I think I will perhaps make the sequel first and then the spin off with Harley Quinn. **

**Please read and review. **

* * *

**Chapter Nineteen**

**The Killing Joke**

Two weeks had passed, and a lot had changed in Gotham. The Bat-signal was destroyed, and now Batman wasn't just a caped vigilante, he was public enemy number one. He was what people hate most, a cop killer. Right now there was an ongoing manhunt for the Dark Knight, and Babes hoped that he would do the right thing and stay out of the streets for awhile, at least until this whole thing blew off.

Other things that had transpired in those two weeks after the whole Harvey/Joker debacle: Harvey was officially declared dead and today they would be holding a special memorial for the "dead hero". Barbara's father, Commissioner Gordon, would make a grand speech.

Barbara thought it was slightly ironic that her father was the one giving the speech, after Harvey had threatened him and his family. If only Harvey knew, he'd probably tear what hair he had left out of his head, but of course Dent would never find out. Where the former DA was being held at right now, not even those who worked at Arkham knew about it.

Only two people knew that Dent was alive apart from Barbara Jr. and Gordon.

Dr. Jeremiah Arkham, the director of the Asylum; and Dr. Harleen Quinzel, head psychiatrist. It was such a well-kept secret, they hadn't even told the Batman about it. Not that they could. The last time they saw the Caped Crusader was on that fateful night.

In Arkham, Harvey would be provided with therapy, and other essensial. He would be taken care of in the Asylum, and he would be safe there. Barbara was glad that Harvey was going to be taken care of well.

The truth was that even though Harvey had threatened Barbara and her family, and held her father responsible for Rachel's murder, she still cared for the man somewhat. Perhaps she didn't feel the same emotions she had once felt for the man, but that was a given after what he had done.

So to know that in Arkham, he would be safe sent waves of relief through Barbara. Not only was Harvey a danger to others, but Barbara also firmly believe he was a danger to himself as well.

But some positive things had happened as well, the Joker was now in police custody waiting for his pending trial, Barbara had gotten her own apartment and moved out of her parent's home, and she had also found a good friend in Bruce Wayne.

After the whole Harvey fiasco, the billionaire had approached her and offered a comforting hand. Barbara accepted his friendship, and it turned out Bruce Wayne is a wonderful person.

He is funny when he wants to be, deeply passionate about the things he loves; he has firm beliefs, which he stands up for. He's just an all around good guy.

There was so much more to him than what the gossip columns made him up to be. He was a compassionate caring man, and he was also incredibly sensitive.

-

Right now though Barbara was in her apartment, watching Harvey's memorial, which was being held at Gotham Central.

Commissioner Gordon was standing in front of a podium; there was a large picture of Harvey behind him. He was grinning in the picture, his face unmarred. That was the Harvey Barbara remembered.

"_Harvey Dent died for the things he believed in. He believed that Gotham could be a better place for its citizens; he believed that he could drive out corruption, that he could prosecute the criminals who have plagued our city. He was a hero. __Not the hero we deserved, but the hero we needed. Nothing less than a knight…shining. We will never forget Harvey and the things he worked so hard to achieve, and we will miss him dearly…Thank you."_

The speech was granted with great applause. Barbara knew how hard it must have been for her father to do that speech. She watched as he walked out of the stage, his head bowed down, and Babs knew that he couldn't stand what he had done. How he had just lied to the citizens of Gotham, how he had told them what a hero Dent was, when that was far from the truth. The real hero was being treated like a criminal because he took the fall for Harvey.

Barbara turned the TV off, leaning against the sofa.

The sound of knocking interrupted Barbara's thoughts. It was only after a few seconds that Barbara realized someone was knocking on her door.

She stood up quickly, smoothing down her yellow blouse and her knee-length skirt.

The knocking persisted, but this time it was considerably louder.

"I'm coming." Barbara responded as she tried to comb her hair with her fingers.

She had not time to fix herself, so she just hoped she didn't look absolutely horrible. She prayed that it wasn't Bruce, she wasn't looking her best today, and she didn't want the billionaire playboy to see her with no make up.

She ran to the door quickly, stopping only regulate her breathing. She put her best smile on as she opened the door.

She gasped loudly as she saw who the identity of the person who was knocking on her door...

-

It was the Joker, he was wearing his usual outfit. A couple of his clowns were standing behind him.

He grinned at the redheaded woman who was currently at a lost for words. His hand was outstretched and he was holding a big revolver aiming it directly at Barbara.

"Hi.", he said in a cheerful manner.

Before Barbara could even say a word he shot her. The impact of the bullet made her fly backwards. She landed on her back several feet away from the spot she had been standing in.

She inhaled deeply as she felt a terrible pain in her abdomen. She tried to sit up or move, but she couldn't. No matter how much she tried to tell herself to move, her muscles wouldn't obey her commands.

She was lying motionless on her carpeted floor, blood pooling around her.

She heard the Joker's insane giggling as he and his henchmen entered her apartment. He shut the door roughly making his way towards the fallen lawyer.

He kneeled down next to the bleeding woman.

"Oh, I'm sorry…Did I hurt you?", he asked mockingly, as he smiled down at her.

"You know I must say you impressed me. Lying to the people of Gotham, choosing to blame the only person who ever gave a damn about this city. That's harsh…But let me tell you something."

He told her before leaning down, until his mouth was centimeters away from her ear, before continuing.

"Sooner or later, the people of Gotham will lose hope…Because you see Harvey, he was a backup plan. Because when I saw that look in the Commissioner's face, as I held a gun to your head. I knew that he was…breakable."

He leaned back, his eyes connected with hers, and all she saw in those dark eyes was pure unadulterated madness, and it scared her deeply.

"I told you all it takes is one day to reduce the sanest man into lunacy."

He reached forwards touching her face, before moving down to her chest. His gloved hand felt cold as ice against her skin.

He tore the buttons of her blouse, tearing it off her body and throwing it to the floor.

"Oh, purple. My favorite color.", he said while referring to the color of her bra.

Barbara blinked back the tears; she didn't want this madman to see her showing weakness. But it was very hard not to cry, she was being humiliated by this sadistic psychopath, while his henchmen stood by laughing as they watched their boss basically tear the clothes off a helpless woman who had just been shot by said man.

He took a small knife out of the outer pocket of his jacket, with it he started to cut into Barbara's skirt until her legs, and most of her thighs were revealed. Then he took the knife and traced small patterns around her breasts.

Barbara could feel the cold metal against her flesh, and she flinched as she felt it cut through it. The cuts were not that deep, but they still hurt.

Her teeth shattered against each other as she began to shiver, her body felt incredibly cold from the lack of clothing.

The Joker stood up, pleased with his creation. He reached into his inner jacket pocket and took out a digital camera.

"Smile.", he said in a mocking manner, as he laughed down at her broken body.

All Barbara could see was the flashing of a light, over and over again.

--

Commissioner Gordon was not happy that he had to stand in front of audience of spectators and lie to their faces. If everyone knew the truth, what Harvey had really done, they would loose the small hope they had left for Gotham, everything that Harvey had worked for would be undone. The mobsters would go back into the streets to prey on the poor and innocent. And Gordon couldn't let that happen, even if he had to stand there behind that podium and lie. He hated lying…

He hated lying about Batman. The vigilante had saved him and his family from Harvey's vengeful clutches, and he had to hunt him down like a criminal.

Gordon sat on his desk sipping a cup of coffee.

The coffee was horrible, but he was use to it.

-

Stephens burst through into the room, he looked anxious and scared.

"Stephens, what's wrong?" Gordon asked his friend. He had never seen the man in such a state.

"Jim, I think you should see this."

That was all that Stephens said as he moved out of the room, Gordon was confused by the man's behavior, but he followed him wordlessly.

They walked out of the building were he saw several people gathered around the wall outside of the building. Stephens and Gordon pushed through the crowd.

When Jim actually saw the wall he stopped. His mouth opened in shock, he couldn't believe what he was seeing. There were multiple copies of pictures of his eldest daughter, Barbara, lying on the floor of her new apartment. She was in her bra, and her skirt had been torn badly. She was lying in a pool of blood.

Gordon felt the bile begin to rise from his throat.

He felt an uncontrollable rage; he began to tear pictures out. He ripped them into little pieces, and then even tore them with his teeth.

Det. Stephens watched scared as his usually calm boss lost control.

"Jim…Jim stop.", he said as he approached the furious Commissioner, and pulled him back.

The man struggled slightly before stopping.

"Commissioner, you've got to come up."

When Jim Gordon looked back he noticed it was not Stephens speaking, but Det. Walker.

"Walker, what are you talking about?" Stephens asked curiously, letting go of his boss and looking back at the other detective, who had just run down the building.

The younger officer tried to regulate his breathing before looking back at Gordon and Stephens.

"There's a video…"

That's all Walker could get out as Gordon took off running into the building; Stephens and Walker followed the Commissioner until they reached their floor.

There every detective was crowding around the television screen.

They let Gordon pass, and gave him gloomy nervous looks.

He already knew what the video was about, but he was still shocked with the sight before him.

In the video his daughter was lying on the floor as she had in the pictures as well, but she was squirming lightly, her hands clutching the carpet, her nails scratching it as she tried to hoist herself up. Her shirt was torn from her body, her chest and breast area were covered in what looked like scratches of some sort. Her skirt was torn; her legs and thighs were on display for the world to see.

He felt the tears slide down his cheeks as he saw the state his daughter was in. She was breathing harshly, tears leaking out of the corners of her eyes.

The camera got closer to her, until it was zooming in on her face.

"Isn't she beautiful?" The Joker's voice emerged from behind the camera.

His tone was mocking and laced with sadism. He was enjoying this, the torture he was putting this woman through, the distress he was causing on her family, more importantly on her father.

Gordon gritted his teeth as he felt the uncontrollable rage he had felt when he tore the pictures out of the wall.

Then the Joker turned the camera on himself and laughed hysterically.

"Are you angry Commissioner? Are you angry at me? Do you feel like you wanna kill me? Rip me to shreds…You know Commissioner, all you have to do is come out of your little cage and play. That's all…You'll feel so much better...Are you still thinking about that moral code of yours? Because you know that's not gonna make Red here any better…If you want me, come and get me…" He laughed again loudly as he focused the camera on Barbara again before turning it off.

Gordon ran off the building and climbed into a patrol car. He didn't want backup, he didn't need backup, because when he found that demented clown, he was going to kill him.

--

Bruce Wayne moved fast, his Lamborghini zooming through the streets, dodging other cars and passing red lights. He wasn't thinking about safety now, the only thing he was thinking about was Barbara. He had seen the video, he knew the Joker was sadistic, but never in his wildest dreams had he ever imagined the sadistic madman would do anything like this.

He knew what the Joker wanted; he wanted to with Gordon what he had done to Dent. Drive him mad, until all his morals and beliefs were forgotten. He wanted Gordon to prove that his little theory was right, that someone as good as him could fall, just as Harvey had. But this time he wanted Gotham to witness his demise.

Bruce couldn't imagine how the Joker had managed to escape from his confinement. He could only imagine that the clown had someone inside the police department working for him.

-

As he arrived at Barbara's apartment complex, he parked his car in the sidewalk. He climbed out of the car quickly before entering the building. He was in too much of a hurry to take the elevator, so he ran up several flights of stairs before he found her floor.

He ran across the hallway before arriving at her apartment. He inhaled deeply as he prepared himself for what he was about to witness. He opened the door carefully, stepping inside slowly and closing the door behind him.

He spotted Barbara's broken body several feet away, next to the coffee table.

She was barely conscious, her eyes half-lidded, dried tear tracks across her cheeks. Blood covering her abdomen where she had been shot by the Joker and her chest was covered in knife marks.

"Barbara…Can you hear me?", he asked her gently as he kneeled beside her.

Picking her blouse from the floor, he placed it outside of her bullet wound as he applied pressure to it to stop the predominant blood flow.

"Stay with me Babs."

Barbara's eyes opened largely as she finally recognized Bruce.

"Bruce…I can't feel my legs. I can't feel my legs! He shot me, and then…" She didn't finish as she broke down and started sobbing.

"I can't move you; because I don't know how much damage he's done, okay…I'm going to call the paramedics. You have to keep pressure on the wound, alright?", he instructed her as he placed one of her hands on the wound.

She nodded and kept her hand firmly atop of the bloody blouse.

Bruce stood up quickly, reaching into his left pant pocket and taking out his cell phone. He dialed 911 quickly, his fingers moving as fast as humanly possible. He spoke truthfully to the woman on the other line, telling her what had happened, and giving her the direction. He even mentioned his name once, he was sure that would make the paramedics hurry.

Bruce felt disgust as he looked down at Barbara. His repulsion was not aimed at her of course, but at the Joker. How could he do this, to someone as nice and caring as Barbara?

Then again he had killed Rachel and other countless innocents, blown up a hospital, tried to get two ferries to blow each other up, kidnapped over fifty people and then tried to make the police kill them, and not forget what he had done to Harvey.

How he driven the former DA over the edge, how he had convinced the man to hunt down and kill those he felt responsible for Rachel's death.

Instead of taking responsibility for the assistant DA's death, he had instead blamed Gordon for the whole tragic accident.

Bruce had never felt such intense hate for a person as he did now. What he had just done to Barbara, and what he was doing to Gordon through her…

It was despicable…

Bruce knelt down next to Barbara again, putting his hand on top of her own as he applied further pressure into the wound.

He wasn't going to let Barbara die, not like he let Rachel die…

He wasn't going to let the Joker kill another person he cared for.

No, he wasn't going to make that mistake twice.

--


	20. Difference between Justice and Vengeance

**AN:** Okay, this is the last chapter, but the epilogue is still to come. And then the sequel.

This chapter was increasingly hard to try because I focuses on Gordon and Batman/Bruce.

**PS.** Ellen Yin, is a character from the animated series. She is based on Ziyi Zhang, who's most famous for her role on Memoirs of a Geisha. I have a pic of her in my profile, just in case you guys are curious.

* * *

**Chapter Twenty**

**The Difference between Justice and Vengeance**

He stepped inside the room silently through the window. His suit felt unbearably heavy all of the sudden, his footsteps got slower as he neared Barbara's bed. He struggled internally, part of him was anxious to see her, the other part wasn't ready. He remembered the way she looked as she lay in her apartment floor; immobile, broken and bloody.

He parted the curtain slowly.

Barbara was lying in her hospital bed, a metal contraption held her legs together, and he could see the bandages in her abdomen peeking through the paper thin gown she wore.

Despite her injuries she was still beautiful in Bruce's eyes. Her face remained untouched, her hair spilled across the pillow. She was in a way ethereal, and Bruce had the sudden urge to gather her in his arms and kiss her sweetly, he wanted to wash away all the pain she had been through.

He walked up to her noiselessly, approaching her with caution; he didn't want to frighten her.

His gloved hand caressed her face softly. His fingertips running through her forehead, and then later reaching her cheek. Placing his palm under her jaw, before traveling back up and caressing her beautiful red hair.

Suddenly her hand reached up and enclosed his wrist. Her grip was surprisingly strong for her condition. Her eyes shot open, they were wide and filled not with fear, but something else, something similar… There was a quiet turmoil in her eyes…An uncertainty, a disorder…chaos…

And that scared Bruce. Because even though it wasn't really the same, it reminded him deeply of the Joker. Like he had left an imprint of himself on Barbara.

Her teeth chattered against each other, she was shivering unconditionally. Her gaze never wavered.

"Barbara, it's alright. It's me…Batman." His voice was still rough, and yet there was a certain gentleness in it, he had never used before on anyone else before.

Barbara's eyes watered and tears spilled from the corner of her wide eyes.

Her arms reached up and enclosed around the Dark Knight's Kevlar covered shoulders. He let her pull him down as she hugged him tightly. His arms fumbled slightly as he tried to return her embrace, but he didn't want to hurt her so he just laid his arms against the mattress.

Her body felt warm against his, and yet so defenseless More than ever he wanted to carry her out of here and take her home. There he would take care of her, hold her against him, kiss her gently until she forgot all about this horrible ordeal.

"I…I…I…", she stumbled with her words, but the words couldn't seem to come out. She just kept sobbing into his chest.

Batman finally broke the embrace after a couple of minutes.

He looked down at Barbara; the tear tracks were still fresh on her cheeks.

"I have to leave.", he whispered to her gently.

She shook her head frantically, her eyes flashing with insecurity and fear. That look tore into Bruce's heart, but as Batman he had to be strong. He had to find the Joker.

"No…Don't, please.", she begged unproductively.

"I'll be back. I promise."

In a way he wasn't lying, he would be back, but not as Batman. He would instead be Bruce. A man concerned over the well-being of his friend.

--

Taking off his suit was harder this time than others, it seem to take so long.

He couldn't bare to leave Barbara alone in that cold hospital room.

The fear in her eyes, how broken and defenseless she looked. He wanted to be by her side every single second. To make sure she was safe, to make sure the Joker didn't try anything funny.

Bruce wasn't naïve; he knew the Joker wasn't done with Barbara.

He needed her. If Gordon didn't fall into his trap, Bruce knew the Joker would try something else. There was a small chance that the Joker might target other members of the Gordon family, but his main target was still Babs.

For some reason the Joker seem to develop this obsession with the redheaded public defender.

From what Bruce had gathered, the psychotic clown had sent orders to his henchmen while he was in custody, to keep tabs on Barbara.

Bruce should have known Babs would be the Joker's next objective; after all he had used her as a hostage after the whole fundraiser fiasco in his penthouse.

-

He burst into Saint Vincent Medical Center without even stopping by the receptionist's desk...

The nurses and doctors passing by stared open mouthed as he walked by them, it wasn't every day they saw the Prince of Gotham walk into their hospital.

Nobody stopped him as he approached Barbara's room; they knew they would run the risk of getting fired. Bruce didn't own the hospital, but his father had worked there for many years, and he had been good friends with the head of the hospital's board, which meant Bruce was now a good friend of the man.

He entered the room carefully, but he didn't hesitate half as much as he did when he was dressed in the Bat-suit.

As Bruce Wayne he could be a lot more gentle and caring, he could actually show emotion, as Batman he had to pretend that he didn't care as much as he actually did which was very hard when it came to the people he cared about, mostly Barbara.

He had a connection with Barbara that he didn't seem to have with anyone else, not even with Rachel had he felt such a strong attraction to a member of the opposite sex.

He approached his friend's prone body.

She was breathing deeply, her eyes were closed. She looked like she was in a very deep sleep, and Bruce didn't have the heart to wake her even though he could see her eyes moving rapidly behind her closed eyelids, and Bruce knew she was having some kind of nightmare. He was betting that it had something to do with the Joker.

The homicidal clown had seemed to edge his way into the helpless redhead. The things he had done to her, the way he had scared her. Only a person with no possible emotions could do that to another person.

Perhaps Bruce was being a little selfish, but he desperately wished Barbara hadn't been the main target for the Joker's sadism.

He caressed her cheek as he had done when he had visited her previously as Batman, this time he could actually feel her skin against his. She felt incredibly cold under his warm hand, like ice through his fingertips

She looked a bit paler than before, and her forehead was covered with cold sweat. Her nostrils flared up as she exhaled harshly.

He leaned down to kiss her cheek gently.

"It's going to be okay, Babs. I'm going to find him, I promise.", he murmured against her skin.

He leaned back up and stared down at his friend, who was lost in her dreams.

Bruce heard the door open raucously. He turned quickly, his advanced reflexes kicking in.

Thankfully it was no one dangerous, just James Gordon. Even though the way the Commissioner looked unnerved him.

His eyes were wide, his glassed were crooked, his clothes rumpled, and his breathing was harsh, as if he had been running all the way to the hospital.

"Commissioner.", he acknowledged the other man's presence quickly and refrained from further observation. Instead he just looked back at Barbara sympathetically.

The Commissioner just nodded in Bruce's direction, but additional to that he just ignored the billionaire moving next to his daughter's immobile body.

Bruce stared at Gordon intently; he could see the fire burning in the other man's eyes. Like a quiet riot waiting to come out. Bruce knew he would have to keep an eye on Gordon, God knows what the man would try if the Joker were to resurface again.

It wasn't that he though Gordon would end up like Dent, but after all the man had been through, it would only be normal for him to want to retaliate against the man who caused him so much pain and distress.

Even Batman, who was thought to be incorruptible, was actually wondering whether to let the Joker live.

But Bruce pushed that thought to the back of his mind; he knew Batman could never cross that line, at least not intentionally.

He watched as the Commissioner kissed his daughter's hand before leaving the room.

He would definitely have to keep an eye on Jim Gordon.

--

James Gordon sat in his office, his hands sustaining his head as he stared off into space.

He was immersed in thought; his thoughts drifted towards his hospitalized daughter. He remembered briefly what the doctor had told him.

"_There was substantial damage done to the vertebral column, mostly the lumbar region…"_

_The man kept on going, but Gordon could barely understand anything the man was saying. It all sounded like some strange jargon he couldn't seem to understand. _

"_Dr. Smith, I'm not really understanding what you're saying…Is my daughter going to be alright?"_

_He interrupted the doctor and spoke frankly to the man. He just really wanted to know about his daughter's condition._

_Dr. Smith looked down at the floor inhaling deeply before looking back at the Commissioner. _

"_Commissioner Gordon…James I'm afraid when can't really tell yet. You're daughter is out of any real danger, but we still don't know if she'll be completely mobile. We would have to do more test, and admit her into some physical therapy. There's a chance she could eventually walk again, but it would take a lot of time and dedication on her part. She would also need a lot of support from her family and friends. Then there's another probability, there's a chance she could never learn to walk again. If this were to happen then she would be confined to a wheel chair for the rest of her life…"_

_Confined to wheel a chair for the rest of her life._

Those words ran through his mind.

No, there was no way his daughter would spend her whole life in a wheel chair. No, not Barbara…

His daughter was a fighter; she was fiery and way too beautiful to be in a wheel chair…

She had to get married and have children; how could she have children if she was immobile.

A loud knock on his door broke his train of thought abruptly.

"Who is it?", he asked mildly annoyed, right now he didn't feel like dealing with any of his co-workers.

"It's Yin." A soft voice answered his question.

He recognized the gentle female voice, it was Ellen Yin's.

Ellen Yin was the new rookie at MCU. In a way she had filled the space left by Ramirez. But Ellen wasn't at all like Anna, she was a sweet kid, only a few years older than Barbara Jr., and she was also incredibly beautiful.

Gordon straightened in his chair and tried to look as inviting as he could. He wasn't going to lie; he was incredibly gentle when it came to Yin. He looked at her as a third daughter in a way.

"Come in." He tried to make his voice sound some what less miserable than how he actually felt.

Ellen walked into his office. Her beautiful silky black hair was up in a high ponytail, she was wearing her usual black pant suit.

She looked nervous as she looked over at him. She gave him a sympathetic look, and Gordon hated it. Why did everyone have to give him that look? He knew they were concerned, but those looks were almost degrading.

He didn't want they're sympathy, he didn't need it. He was going to be okay, Barbara was going to be okay. His family was going to be alright. They were going to make it out of this.

He smiled weakly at her, and she smiled back. He couldn't act bitter around Yin, he just couldn't. She seemed to have an invisible power over people, a power of love and kindness, and Jim wasn't immune to this power.

Right now he kind of wished he was. He wanted to prevent even the slightest bit of happiness from emerging from within him. All that he wanted to focus on was his misery.

Maybe he focused on that emotion long enough he could somehow feed it into his anger, and catch the son of a bitch who messed his daughter up.

"What is it Yin?" This time he spoke with a less kindness.

The small smile on Ellen's face faded. She looked at the floor before looking back at her boss, and giving him a medium sized yellow envelope.

Gordon stared at the envelope curiously.

"What's this?"

"Oh, it was sent here."

She didn't answer his question further and Gordon knew she was completely clueless.

He inspected the envelope; it was sealed shut, and it had no return address. In fact the only thing written on the envelope was his name:

**_To:__ Commissioner James Gordon _**

The hand writing was untidy and cluttered.

"Well thanks.", he replied shortly and Yin got the message.

She knew where she was wanted and where she wasn't wanted. And it was clear that she was not wanted here. The Commissioner had a lot of things on his mind, and she knew she was just bothering him with her mere presence.

She gave him one last encouraging smile before walking out of the office and closing the door behind her.

Gordon stared at the envelope deep in thought.

Who could have sent him this envelope?

After a couple of seconds, he realized that the envelope must have been sent by the Batman. After all the other man had to find a way to sent him a message somehow, they could no longer communicate the way they had before. Batman was now a wanted criminal. A cop killer…

Gordon stopped those particular thoughts; he was still guilty about the whole Batman thing.

He opened the envelope swiftly taking out a white paper sheet.

He began to read the letter carefully;

**_Dear __Commissioner…Should I say Commissioner, I find that title to formal for me to use. I feel like we're beyond formality, I feel like we're past that, after all you're practically my father-in-law, after all that's happened between me and Red…_**

_**Dear Gordie, (that's much better, don't you think?)**_

**_I've sent __this letter because I want us to meet. You see I've been dying to see how my latest apprentice is faring…You must be thinking that I must be crazy to call you my apprentice, but you are. Just like dear Harvey, he sure was a chip of the old block, but in the end he disappointed me. Only five dead, c'mon, you and I both know he could have done better than that. Oh, you're probably gasping in shock, and wondering how does he know about Harvey. I'm the one who released him from that infernal leash, you and the other schemers kept him in. I released the real Harvey, I let him out of his tiny little cage so he could come out and play with us, just like I'm going to let you out of your little cage. Don't you wanna play with me? C'mon you know you wanna. _**

_**You see Gordie the average man, such as yourself. Is physically unremarkable and possesses a deformed set of values. Most repulsive of all, are its frail and useless notions of order and sanity. If too much weight is placed upon them…they snap. Faced with the inescapable fact that human existence is mad, random, and pointless, one in eight of them crack up and go stark raving mad!**_

_**And you know what I think…I think you're one of those 1-8 that crack up. So what are you waiting for Gordie? You know what you want to do, you want to avenge you're daughter's humiliation. You wanna kill me, and I'm not going to hold it against you. You see I know I deserve to die, and who better to punish me than you. You should punish me, I've been a very bad boy…**_

_**So come and get me.**_

_**I'll meet you tomorrow night at the docks in the Narrows, you know the place where you caught Falcone a couple of years ago. Be there at 10:00 pm sharp, don't be late. I'll be waiting all alone, I promise (scouts' honor). **_

_**Love, yours truly;**_

**_The Joker_**

As Gordon read the letter, his hands clenched around it. He crumbled the offensive letter into a ball after he was finished reading, throwing it roughly into the trash bin. The crumpled letter missed the bin by a few inches and landed on the floor. Gordon made no move to pick it up.

He was fuming with anger; how dare that demented clown send him a letter to the place he worked no less?

10:00 pm sharp, tomorrow at the docks.

He would be there; he was going to kill that psychopath once and for all. Gordon now knew that was the only way of stopping the sadist from committing further crimes.

The Joker would never stop; even in custody he was dangerous. He had to get rid of the madman; he would get rid of the madman.

--

Maybe Batman was little desperate, after all he was sneaking into the Commissioner's office at MCU was a big risk. He could get caught; his identity uncovered, and sentence to probably life in prison. But right now he didn't care about the hazards, he had to communicate with Gordon somehow.

He was worried about what the man may be going through, he was also worried because secretly he feared Jim would somehow end up like Harvey.

He inspected the office carefully, his eyes raking over every little corner. There was nothing really out of the ordinary.

He walked towards the Commissioner's desk. His eyes inspecting the contents laying on it.

Something caught his eye, it was a medium length yellow envelope. It was open, and it had no return address.

Bruce feared the worse, for some reason this simple envelope seemed so eerie.

The letter that had once been inside this envelope, had to be around here somewhere.

As kept on looking for the mysterious letter. A crumbled paper ball next to the trash can caught his eye.

He picked the paper ball and opened it carefully. Smoothing out the wrinkles until he could make up the words inside the letter.

He read the letter swiftly.

His eyes widened as he finished reading.

The Joker was doing this intentionally, he was provoking Gordon shamelessly. It wasn't long until the other man snapped.

_How do you know he hasn't snapped yet?_ A voice from deep within his mind seemed to whisper suspiciously.

It's true, he didn't know if the other man had already snapped under the Joker's sadistic machinations.

He had to stop Gordon.

--

_A day later_

Gordon passed the docks relentless, he arrived an hour early. He wanted to catch the clown by surprise.

He stroked the gun which he was hiding in his outer coat pocket. Could he do this, could he actually kill someone intentionally?

Then he thought back to the video, how defenseless Barbara looked as she lay on the floor of her apartment. Practically naked, immobile, bleeding, he eyes wide with terror.

And suddenly he wasn't unsure anymore. He wanted nothing more than to kill the Joker. To shoot him straight in the head and rid Gotham of this sociopath.

Gotham and the world would be much better without scum like the Joker. He would be doing people a favor, it wouldn't be a crime. Nobody cared about the clown, except his deranged posse.

"And here I thought you wouldn't show up, Commissioner."

A voice emerged from the shadows. It was the Joker who stepped out into view. His make up looked was fresh, but other than that he looked just as he had the last time the Commissioner had seen him.

Gordon noticed the Joker was missing his purple coat as he approached him.

The madman stopped a couple of feet away from Gordon. He looked over at the cop cautiously before giving him his signature grin.

"You're going to kill me, aren't you?" The Joker asked in glee.

It unnerved James even more that the man didn't seem to care that he was about to loose his life in a couple of minutes.

Despite his unsettling thoughts he nodded as he looked at the painted faced man straight I the eyes. He drew the gun out of his pocket quickly, and raised it so it was pointing at the Joker directly in between the eyes.

The Joker raised his arms in mock of a crucified pose.

"Go ahead. C'mon do it. I've been bad, I deserve it.", he shouted at the increasingly nervous man.

The Joker really wanted Gordon to shoot him. What the other man didn't know was that he had planted cameras around, and had ordered one of his most trusted men to release the video tape after Gordon did the deed.

Then the people of Gotham would finally loose their hope, they would see the truth. That their so called rules are irrelevant and worthless.

Ah, the Joker could almost taste the disappointment already.

Sure, he won't be alive to witness it, but he was okay with that. Knowing he died for his cause was more than enough for him. He would die happy, so very happy with a permanent smile on his face.

The Joker smiled further as he imagined the outcome of his murder at the hands of the "honorable" Commissioner. But a deep rough voice interrupted the merry thoughts of the Joker.

"Commissioner, you don't want to do this."

The Commissioner turned his head towards the other voice.

The Batman walked out of the shadows, much as the Joker had done previously. He stepped a couple of feet away from the Joker, but still within reach of the other man, just in case he couldn't convince Gordon to drop the gun.

If Gordon fired his hand gun, he would probably have to step into the other man's direction, and save him. Even though the last thing he wanted to do was save the Joker.

Jim gave Batman a curious and slightly annoyed look.

"No, I do want to do this. He has to be stopped. You saw what he did to Babs. Not only that, but he killed Rachel, Loeb, Judge Surrillo, God knows how many other. Not to mention what he did to Harvey…Someone has to stop him, and if you're not going to do it, I will."

"Gordon, you're not thinking rationally. You're not like Harvey, you're stronger. I know you are. Please Gordon, what would Babs think?"

Batman tried to reason with is ally, who was clearly not in the right mind right now.

"I'm doing this for her! Did you see what he did to her? How he humiliated her? She could be a paraplegic, did you know that? My eldest daughter might be confined to a fucking wheel chair for the rest of her life because of this psychopath!"

The Commissioner yelled loudly, he looked like a dog with rabies. His eyes narrowed, his face clenched in anger and spit flying out of his mouth.

Bruce felt himself stop for a minute, all rational thoughts flying out of his head for a minute. Barbara couldn't be a paraplegic, she couldn't spend the rest of her life in a wheel chair, she just couldn't…

He had to compose himself before speaking again.

"Gordon, listen to me. You can't do this. I believe in you. The reason why I took the fall for Harvey's crimes was because I believe Gotham can still have hope as long as they have you. Please, don't do this. Don't make me regret my choice."

Batman finished and from his peripheral vision he could see the Joker roll his eyes and hear him as he sighed heavily in a bored and disgusted manner.

Batman and Gordon both ignored the Joker.

Gordon met Batman's gaze. The vigilante was saying the truth, he had given so much for Gotham, and he was counting on him as Commissioner to lead this doomed city into salvation.

And after three years in a half working side by side with this man, he couldn't let him down. He couldn't let Gotham down, or his family for that matter. Batman was right what Barbara think when she found out her father was a cold blooded murdered.

He dropped the gun to the floor and the Joker's eyes widened as he realized the other man wasn't going to shoot him.

"No, you have to kill me…C'mon shoot me! Shoot me!", he shouted at the Commissioner, but the other man ignored him.

The Batman restrained the madman and knocked him out.

"What are we going to do with him?" Gordon asked as he walked towards the Dark Knight, who was currently holding the Joker's unconscious body.

"I think Arkham is the best place for him. He'll be kept in the maximum security wards under isolation. There he won't be able to hurt or taint anyone."

The Commissioner nodded as he agreed wordlessly with Batman.

Everything was going to be okay; Barbara was going to be alright, Gotham would be safe, his family would be fine. With the Joker in a padded cell in Arkham things would get better, after all things could only get better from here.

The Commissioner smiled faintly as he realized that things would get better.

--

Reviews will be awarded with jelly babies.


	21. Epilogue

**AN: Okay so this is the epilogue, it's really short. At least compared to my other chapters. I tried to answer as many questions as I could, but at the same time I left someones unanswered for the upcoming sequel. **

* * *

**Epilogue**

Three months passed since that fateful night at the docks.

Things weren't really getting any better. It took the Commissionerof those three months to realize that nothing was ever going to be the same ever again.

The Joker was currently being held at Arkham Asylum under the care of a couple of doctors, including renowned psychoanalyst Dr. Harleen Quinzel. The overconfident female M.D. was sure she could unravel the puzzle that was the Joker, but Gordon doubted it. Quinzel had no idea what she was getting her self into.

Despite the fact that Batman had once again saved the day, not only had he caught the Joker, but he had also caught the clown's mentally unstable henchman and once again foiled the psychopath's plans; sadly he was still public enemy number one.

After all in public documents Batman was still the "killer" of six people, including one Harvey Dent. Which wasn't really true, Dent was alive and well, or as well as someone who had half of his face melted off and lost his mind could be.

And then there was Barbara, his eldest daughter who had been momentarily paralyzed by the madman. He said momentarily because there was still hope the redhead would walk again. For the past three months she had been attending physical therapy sessions none stop. Babs wasn't giving up without a fight, and Jim and the rest of her family where there for her every step of the way.

Bruce Wayne had offered his endless fortune to help Barbara, whether there were bills from the hospital that needed to be paid, or tests that needed to be done. Wayne was even flying some of the world's best physicians to Gotham.

It surprised Jim how Wayne had developed this strong bond with his daughter in such a short time. The only other person to do so had been Dent, and Gordon hoped that Wayne didn't end up disappointing his daughter the same way the former District Attorney had.

Even though things had been tough on the Gordon's, they were moving forward, at a very small pace, but moving forward none the less.

--

In three short months Barbara Gordon had become the center of Bruce Wayne's life. Perhaps it was because she reminded him of Rachel in many ways, or maybe because she was one of the last people in this city he actually believed could do some good.

Whatever it was, he knew that she was now a very important part of his life. He wanted desperately to help her in any way he could. Whether it was bringing the best doctors from around the world, or paying for her medical bills; he was going to do anything necessary to see her walk again.

Gotham had been quiet recently, the mob wasn't really doing anything at the moment, the Joker and his gang of crazies where now being held in Arkham. For some inescapable reason the Joker hadn't made any attempts to escape yet. And it worried Bruce immensely because he knew the madman was stalling. He was bidding his time doing God knows what. Whatever it was that he was doing, no good could come of it.

--

Three long months had passed…Three very long months.

At least for Barbara it had been the three longest months in her life, maybe it was because she had spent those three months (and was currently) in a wheel chair.

Confined to a wheel chair and depending on other people to get by, was not Barbara's cup of tea. She absolutely hated it.

Her father had suggested she move in back with her family, but Barbara had kindly rejected him. She wasn't going to let this wheel chair get in the way of her new life. The new life she had planned for herself. She had hired a personal nurse to help her around the house until she could get use to the damn wheel chair.

Thankfully the nurse was no stranger, it was Linda Page. In those three months, Linda had become on of Barbara's closest friends. She was actually one of the red head's only friends.

Barbara's circle of friends consisted in Linda Page, Vicki Vale (if one could consider the blonde a friend), and of course Bruce Wayne.

Bruce…

Barbara was starting to think the billionaire was the second most important person in her life after her father.

While once Barbara had considered the playboy a potential romantic interest, her feelings for the man had changed slightly. Before the whole wheel chair thing, Bruce and Barbara had become friends of sort. They still flirted, but it was a playful flirtation nothing really serious, after all they had both needed each other after loosing Rachel and Harvey respectively. The two people whom they both had loved dearly.

Of course after the Joker's brutal attack on Babs, things between the twosome changed dramatically. Their friendship had strengthened, and it became a lot more serious. They no longer flirted like they use to, after all it was hard for Barbara to feel attractive while stuck to a wheel chair.

Never the less Barbara still looked upon Bruce with almost hopeful eyes. Perhaps one day when she was out of that infernal chair she could begin a romantic relationship with Bruce.

_Well one can only hope. _, she though as she lay in her bed and closed her eyes gently falling asleep.


End file.
